Swalesmoor and Ringby Top

The plan was , back from Halifax shopping and pick the dog up from the groomers at 1500hrs, drop him off at home and a good birding session.  Wrong.  The groomer rang up saying she was running late and it would be 1545hrs, then a further call to pick him up at 1600hrs, afternoon goosed.
The nearest location to the groomers while I waited was Swalesmoor then up Ringby Lane to the quarry.
More set backs, only Queensbury could get a near gale force WSW>6 , heavy rain and hilltop mist all at once. Luckily the wind kept the banks of fog moving but not the best of conditions.
Ploughcroft end of Ringby held 13 Chaffinch and 9 House Sparrows around the bird feeders whilst higher up the track a flock of 9 Linnet were moving around the quarry edges.
4 Herring gulls went >W and otherwise it was the usual Corvids and Common gulls.
Not sounding good for the morning with wind increasing and rain heading our way but will I be put off, watch this space.
BS

Queensbury Today

                                 Night skies over Foxhill

Free illumination show nightly looking east from Foxhill
The row of lights at the back are Yeadon airport landing lights.

A brighter day today with a cool W>5 with patches of blue sky.
No continuation of yesterdays Redwing movement but around 14 herring gulls moved >NW in ones and twos during the morning.
Dunnocks, Robins and Blackbirds are singing daily now and a report today of a Mistle Thrush sitting eggs in a Clayton garden.
Gales and rain predicted for Sunday, nowt new there then, at least it will keep the fog away.
Have a good weekend all.
BS

Redwings on the move.

A better day today but still grey and blustery, remaining dry.
Redwing movement was evident today with several small flocks and individuals over the garage >NE along with contact calls tonight over Foxhill whilst out dog walking after dark. Redwings have been congregating down in the old railway station area over the last few days obviously getting ready for the long journey >N.
Otherwise it has been uneventful around the village other than the usual small gulls in and around Foxhill Park.
Heading up to what looks like being a wet weekend but with temperatures falling we should be clear of the dreaded fog.
BS

Dinnertime dash

                              Raggalds Flood coming back to life

                    Lapwings enjoying the water

                 Skylarks on the cricket pitch

          This Tawny Owl took some finding.

With a morning hospital appointment with Lynda for a much dreaded CT Scan and now a month to wait for results it was a quick check on the Raggalds Flood and Old Guy Rd on the way back to work.
The flood looks a little healthier water wise but the only birds present were 17 Lapwing and 2 Pied Wagtails.
Old Guy Rd cricket pitch held 12 Skylark, 4 Meadow Pipit and 1 Pied Wagtail.
A quick check on the Queensbury Tawny Owls after work in fading light produced 1 bird well hidden.
I was hoping to catch them out in the open before they headed off for a nights hunting  but had,nt time to hang around. Last night the garden owner reported that the 2 Owls were sat out on a branch around 1730 hrs.
BS

In thoughts of summer

On a bleak cold February evening here,s some warming pics of  some of the areas summer birds taken during the warm months

                  Fly Flatts Turnstone

                     Oxenhope Greenshank

                                          Ogden Teal

                      Fly Flatts Wheatear

              Fly Flatts Golden Plover

                                      Ogden Willow Warbler

                          Ogden Crossbill

                                Long Eared Owl

                                   Ogden Stonechat

                                    and juv

                           Ogden Willow Warbler

              Fly Flatts Stonechat

                          Fly Flatts Oystercatcher

         Soil Hill Grasshopper Warbler

                 Soil Hill Whitethroat

                                            Linnet

                                  Swallow

                                        Soil Hill Dunlin

Needless to say, all was quiet in the village today.

BS

Queensbury Today

As usual, a bright blue sky Monday with a strong W>5 easing then picking up after dark to W>6 gusting 7 with some heavy snow showers.
LBB gulls were on the move >N heading up the Aire valley most of the morning whilst 4 Skylarks came over the garage mid morning >NW.
No lunch time today with errands to run so it was sandwiches on the hoof but did manage to drive past Raggalds Flood where 9 Lapwing and 6 Common gulls were by the small amount of water.
Around 60 small gulls were on the Raggalds football pitch.
BS

Ogden Revisited, p.m.

   Barnacle getting braver now .

       Plenty 1st winter Black Headeds

               A grim Ogden reservoir.

  When I grow up I want to be a Canada.

                                          Me and my mate.

With the snow piling down late afternoon and the roads getting bad with no sign of gritters, nowt new there , I thought it best to stay local so back to Ogden thinking something must have dropped in today, WRONG.
The weather there was atrocious with a near gale force SSW>6 and horizontal rain and sleet with white horses on the water.
A circuit around the water found all passerines must have headed into the deep wood for shelter with not even a Robin.
As I was looking in the Alders on the west bank a bird flew overhead which I can only describe as a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker heading towards the giants tooth but it was impossible to get anything on it as looking up just filled the bins with water.
With the wing shape, undulating flight , and size its the only competitor but with no definite i.d. it will have to go down as a cud av bin.
The water ,as yesterday, held the same Canadas along with the Barnacle which seems to be enjoying the easy life now of being fed instead of looking for its own food and is coming right into the feeding area.
BS

Misty Leeshaw, Foggy Fly Flatts

                                Gulls , Lapwings, Oystercatchers

                     Canada numbers building

                           Oyks on the shoreline

                        and in the fields

         Good numbers of Common gulls

Upper Marsh  0715 hrs
78 Lapwing
53 Fieldfare
100 + Starling
Still no Goldies

Leeshaw  0730 hrs
Misty then clearing but grey with slight snow showers
8 Oystercatchers
1 Curlew
76 Canadas
1 Cormorant
21 Lapwing
c50 Common Gulls
+ usual sp.
Nyger seed down for 1st time.

Fly Flatts 0900 hrs
An horrendous drive up to Fly Flatts from Oxenhope on a sheet ice and snow covered road only to find, yes you guessed it, Thick Fog on the tops.
A check around the fields lower down by Hunter Hill with just small gulls and corvids present.

0930 hrs Back home for a pot of hot coffee
BS

A Barnie for Ogden

   The elusive Barnacle has returned to Ogden

               Just 8 Lapwing in the trailer field

Green Lane Magpie tree held 19 roosting birds.

A late afternoon check on Ogden in an icy cold NNE>5 with slight snow showers found nothing in the way of passerines although only had time to check the west bank Alders.
The water had the usual small gulls and Mallards along with 5 Canadas and a surprise visit from the Barnacle Goose which keeps moving around the area.

Raggalds Flood is once again dried up whilst Shelf Moor trailer park held 8 Lapwing and around 100 Starling.
Nothing to excite me on Green Lane but the pond opposite the bottom of Corporal Hill is worth keeping an eye on, especially over the spring period.
19 Magpies were in and around the roost tree at the Deanstones end of Green Lane whilst the surrounding fields held a few small gulls and corvids.
Clear skies tonight so hopefully a clear frosty morning tomorrow.
BS