Probably not on the scale that swamped our area in March this year, that really was a one off, and the only time I,ve seen anything like it in 50 years of birding.
With a quiet day today heres my report from 22/3/2015.
22/03/2015 Sunday.
After an early morning visit to Fly Flatts on a calm , sunny but frosty morning I was ready for leaving when a call from AC stopped me in my tracks.Andy reported 53 Whooper Swans over Northowram heading >N towards Queensbury.
Minutes later DJS reported Whoopers over Lee Mount also heading in my direction.
At 0920 hrs another report from AC via DJS with hundreds of Whoopers heading over Northowram and all heading my way.
I alerted HC who was at the Oxenhope end of Fly Flatts scoping from the top road so now it was just a matter of wait and watch.
After 15 minutes I called HC who had just scoped 30 Whoopers out over Bingley but where were the reported swans?
It was obvious that such a large number could not have got past me even if they had gone through the Causeway Foot col to my east so the only other option was that they must have gone down on either Ogden or Mixenden.
With Mixenden being the odds on favourite it was in the car and full speed ahead to Mixenden reservoir.
On arrival I got out of the car to the amazing sound of calling Whoopers coming from the reservoir. After a shuffle over the wall and a climb up the banking a sight met me unlike anything I have ever experienced before in 52 years of birding. The reservoir was white with a count of 244 noisy Whooper Swans.
After alerting the cavalry through a grapevine message and a few phone calls it was down to getting some photos which was difficult getting them all in without a wide angled lens.
The grapevine message created a steady flow of birders throughout the day to view the spectacle before the birds up and left >N at 1620 hrs witnesses by PG.
The flock was later picked up heading >N over Oxenhope at 1640 hrs by RP, JL and Sue.
This was only half the story with Whooper Swan reports coming in throughout the day from all areas of West Yorkshire.
Here are just some of the reports compiled by DJS and myself.
0915 70 over Ringstone >NW D.F.
0915 7 On water at Ringstone DF, A.T.
0915 Skein heard over Boothtown A & G.
0916 53 over Northowram AC
0918 6 over Lee Mount DJS
0920 185 over Northowram AC
0920 80 over Ogden BH
0930 30 over Bingley HC
0937 60+ over Claremount DB
0945 244 found on Mixenden reservoir BS
1035 28 West over Oakworth following the Ponden / Watersheddles valley IH
1040 37 over Cromwell Bottom MH SJ
1100 37 over Mytholmroyd DJP
1620 244 left Mixenden reservoir PG
1640 180 over Oxenhope RP JL and Sue
23.3.2015 Monday
2 on Watersheddles JL and Sue
9 on Ponden JL and Sue
2 Through Causeway Foot col NK
Contributors and Viewers
AC DJS JS BV HC BS A & G RP DF HT BH JL N& DP DP MH PG NO
SB PS TT DB NK JL & Sue VJ
Apologies for any reports or birders missed.
After an early morning visit to Fly Flatts on a calm , sunny but frosty morning I was ready for leaving when a call from AC stopped me in my tracks.Andy reported 53 Whooper Swans over Northowram heading >N towards Queensbury.
Minutes later DJS reported Whoopers over Lee Mount also heading in my direction.
At 0920 hrs another report from AC via DJS with hundreds of Whoopers heading over Northowram and all heading my way.
I alerted HC who was at the Oxenhope end of Fly Flatts scoping from the top road so now it was just a matter of wait and watch.
After 15 minutes I called HC who had just scoped 30 Whoopers out over Bingley but where were the reported swans?
It was obvious that such a large number could not have got past me even if they had gone through the Causeway Foot col to my east so the only other option was that they must have gone down on either Ogden or Mixenden.
With Mixenden being the odds on favourite it was in the car and full speed ahead to Mixenden reservoir.
On arrival I got out of the car to the amazing sound of calling Whoopers coming from the reservoir. After a shuffle over the wall and a climb up the banking a sight met me unlike anything I have ever experienced before in 52 years of birding. The reservoir was white with a count of 244 noisy Whooper Swans.
After alerting the cavalry through a grapevine message and a few phone calls it was down to getting some photos which was difficult getting them all in without a wide angled lens.
The grapevine message created a steady flow of birders throughout the day to view the spectacle before the birds up and left >N at 1620 hrs witnesses by PG.
The flock was later picked up heading >N over Oxenhope at 1640 hrs by RP, JL and Sue.
This was only half the story with Whooper Swan reports coming in throughout the day from all areas of West Yorkshire.
Here are just some of the reports compiled by DJS and myself.
0915 70 over Ringstone >NW D.F.
0915 7 On water at Ringstone DF, A.T.
0915 Skein heard over Boothtown A & G.
0916 53 over Northowram AC
0918 6 over Lee Mount DJS
0920 185 over Northowram AC
0920 80 over Ogden BH
0930 30 over Bingley HC
0937 60+ over Claremount DB
0945 244 found on Mixenden reservoir BS
1035 28 West over Oakworth following the Ponden / Watersheddles valley IH
1040 37 over Cromwell Bottom MH SJ
1100 37 over Mytholmroyd DJP
1620 244 left Mixenden reservoir PG
1640 180 over Oxenhope RP JL and Sue
23.3.2015 Monday
2 on Watersheddles JL and Sue
9 on Ponden JL and Sue
2 Through Causeway Foot col NK
Contributors and Viewers
AC DJS JS BV HC BS A & G RP DF HT BH JL N& DP DP MH PG NO
SB PS TT DB NK JL & Sue VJ
Apologies for any reports or birders missed.
BS