Mixenden Reservoir

                            Small gulls in the sun

            Gt Nth Diver in sheltered water

                                             Plenty small gulls

                                       Crowds of Jackdaws on the banking

                           Jackdaws airborne

                               GND in rough water

                                  Going under

A late afternoon visit to Mixenden reservoir to check out the long hedge for Nuthatch or Brambling drew a blank with the hedge very quiet other than a few Chaffinch and Blackbirds.
The GND was still present not seeming to mind the icy cold blast from the >N creating heavy water.
Nothing else on the water apart from around 60 small gulls whilst around the same number of Jackdaws were on the banking.
Several Long Tailed Tits and Goldcrests were working their way through the bushes on the waters edge.
12 Herring gulls moved >SW to the west of me going over Hunter Hill.
BS

Queensbury, a better day weather wise.

  0730hrs in the parish churchyard

     

    Amazing coloured skies

   Wren in the near dark after food

                                          Bears in the air

      House Sparrows around the gardens

A 0730hrs dash down to the Parish churchyard to get some shots of the red sunrise but it filtered away before it got above the horizon.
A single Wren was scratting along the wall bottom looking for food in the near dark whilst several small gulls were just starting to move overhead.
The day remained bright apart from a heavy snow shower just after dark but nothing moving in the skies other than 1 LBB gull briefly landing in Foxhill park at lunchtime which is unusual.
Fingers crossed for a decent weekend.
BS

Queensbury Snow, here we go again !

               Down it came again, heavy showers all day

  Eck, an empty car park, several customers blobbed today.

    Main road covering

   Snowflakes the size of  half crowns, bet you don,t remember them!

                                              Job stopped

                                 Deserted village cross roads

            Meanwhile, back at the ranch.

                            Whiteout, Foxhill Park

          Even the Blackbird looks naffed off.

    Looks like the bottom Woody was first to the grub.

A real Queensbury winters day today with heavy showers throughout but luckily the wind had dropped so no worry of drifting.
Steady falls through the night then constant heavy falls all day, some so heavy visibility was down to a few feet.
A few bright spells in between revealing small gulls frantically flying round looking for food whilst the local Woodpigeons patiently sat on their usual chimney pots waiting for the food to be put down.
Highlight of the day was a Grey Wagtail low over the garage last light >SW, probably one of the Black Dyke Mill birds. Which reminds me , when we were teenagers we used to wait in the High Street for the Black Dyke Mill birds, but not Grey Wagtails.
BS

Something to cheer you up

Never mind the bad weather, less than 8 weeks away and we,ll be clocking the first Spring Wheatears.
These are a few shots of last years birds.

                                     Shelf Moor

                       Shelf Moor Greenland sp.

                                                Fly Flatts

                                   All autumn plumage

                                    Shelf Moor

   Breeding success at Fly Flatts

So there you are, not long to wait now and we,re on our way.

Quiet around the village today with some heavy snow showers blown in on a strong W>6 and serious snow this evening with standing traffic. Could be grim by morning.
Hoped to check the Raggalds Flood today but the usual long wait at a hospital appointment with Lynda put stoppers on that.
A text today from Fireman Craig of a white duck with a black head on Mixenden reservoir, obviously Goldeneye or Goosander, thanks for that Craig.
BS

Queensbury Today and the Great Northern Diver in flight.

A grey day with a strong W>5 bringing drizzle and light rain showers throughout.
So sign of a continuation of yesterdays gull move with only the resident small gulls showing.
Interesting to see 2 Jays heading > SW this morning coming from the direction of Queensbury station, not a common bird to see over the village.
A customer rang mid afternoon reporting 2 large swans heading >N over Oxenhope, possibly the 2 Whoopers from Ringstone if they have moved on, and the couple from Mixenden who were concerned about the GND said to their relief that the diver flew a circuit of the reservoir yesterday p.m. over the edge of the plantation and landed again at the north end spending some time wing flapping.
It will be nice if someone is present at the time it goes rather than it just disappear.
BS

Queensbury, Big gull morning

        Small gulls on a flooded Foxhill pitch

  Low count of Commons this winter

With the snow well cleared this morning and brighter skies it made the job feel better even though this may just be a window before the next lot of winter hits us.
Strange how we can,t just have winter anymore with the weather men trying to put the fear of god into everyone with Weather Bombs, Thunder Snow and now a Displaced Polar Vortex. What happened to the good old, Snowing like the Clappers ?

A real big gull morning today with 17 Herring gulls over the garage at 0915hrs for a kick off and then a steady flow of LBBs  ceasing my lunch time.
Dinner time in Foxhill just found the usual small gulls which has been a poor turn out for Commons this winter with an average of 21 and peaking at 52 whereas the resident flock is up in the 70s by this time.
A nice but distant group of c40 Lapwings flew over heading >W.
BS

Mixenden reservoir, last light

   Great Northern Diver in the murk.

              9 Herring gulls over>SW last light

1500hrs - 1615hrs
With dense fog at Queensbury I dropped down to Mixenden armed with camera and wellies to get some GND snaps but on arrival the cloud was low and grey with heavy drizzle.
To brighten the scene up DJS was there on the banking and together we watched the diver quite happy in its new temporary home working the whole of the reservoir and diving regular for fish.
Nothing else on the water other than small gulls which slowly filtered away >NW.
Good to get 9 Herring gulls over which Dave quickly picked up on and I managed a couple of silhouetted shots.
By after 1600hrs the light was fading fast and back at Queensbury the fog was a pea souper.

A good report this p.m. of 14 Teal on the weir at EGP from Angela and Gary.
BS