0745 hrs on a bright but very frosty cold morning in a N>5 as I arrived at Ogden to the surprise of 9 Whoopers flying low over the info centre just giving me time to grab the camera and catch them as they left to the NE. After putting it out on the grapevine I rang HC at Oxenhope who had got them flying over Long Causeway and seeming to drop down in fields beyond Trough Lane.
I presume the birds had come off the water and were more than likely DJS s Baitings birds from yesterday going by the juvs although when they left Baitings they must have settled somewhere else before Ogden otherwise I,d have seen them from Soil Hill.
Getting over the shock of that I picked out 1m and 2f Goldeneye at the other side of the water along with a male Tufted but out of camera range in the low sun reflecting on the water plus the distance. They were very fidgety and by the time I,d reached the other side they were gone.
The Little Grebe was still present whilst the Dipper was in the stream below Dipper Dyke where the Kingfisher also made a brief appearance flying from under the bridge and disappearing around the corner towards Parakeet pond.
The area was alive with Goldcrests which I carefully checked for Firecrest whilst tit flocks, Chaffinch and Goldfinch were moving through the Alders but in small numbers.
A call from HC at Oxenhope reported several skeins of Pinkies moving but all out to the east.
All in all a cracking morning just spoilt by driving home in a snow blizzard.
BS