With Lynda wanting me and the dogs out of the way a couple of hours after dinner today for her hairdresser coming it was a good opportunity for a reservoir check but with Oxenhope being a no dog area it was down to Fly Flatts and Leeshaw.
Fly Flatts was a little cooler than yesterday with a stiff W>5 blowing but the lack of moorland birds was now noticeable by their silence. The calls of Curlew, Lapwing and Snipe have now gone for another season leaving the moors a desolate area other than a few Red Grouse calling and Meadow Pipits now starting grouping ready to move on as the autumn approaches.
Wheatears will be the next birds in numbers around the reservoir area, hopefully with a Greenland sp or 2 mixed in.
Several Canadas on the water and still good numbers in the fields with young but once again, no Barnacle. Otherwise it was down to a couple of LBB gulls over along with several Carrion Crow squabbling over a sheep carcass.
Leeshaw was no better with Canadas and Greylags on the water along with a couple of BH gull and again no Curlew or Lapwing around the usual fields. Just 1 Oystercatcher on the reservoir wall and House Martins still feeding young under the eaves of the valve tower.
Perfect skies and thermals but still no dispersion started of big raptors as yet.
BS
WEST YORKSHIRE BIRDING. BRIAN SUMNER. I am based at Queensbury and bird a patch within a 10 mile range of home incorporating 16 stretches of water, several plantations, a belt of woodland, stretches of river and canal and good areas of moorland. I specialize in upland birds, reservoir and sky watching. My local patch is Fly Flatts reservoir. Any reports can be sent by text or call to 07771 705024 or see profile for e mail address. All images on this blog are copyright.(2024).