Fly Flatts 1500hrs Bright and breezy with occasional dark clouds but mostly blue skies and sunshine on a strong and cold NW>6-7. A bank of bad wet weather was moving south along the western fringe.
Very quiet in the sky with just one skein of Pinks well out over Saddleworth Moor looking to be around 30. Otherwise the only sky born birds were a few LBB gulls heading >NW into the wind
Red Grouse were calling on the moor and a few grounded Mipits were present along with a flock of around 40 Goldfinch near the top gate.
Just 2 distant Stonechats down by the clubhouse and a male Reed Bunting was nearby.
Back at the Raggalds Flood NKs 29 Canadas were still present but only 3 BHGs and a Kestrel hovering over the left hand field with c50 Common gulls on the Pit Lane pitch.
A few skeins of Pinkies reported this morning from HC at Oxenhope and AC at Northowram. HCs birds included 2 near misses at lunch time when 2 skeins , one after the other, flew >SE over the Keelham Farm Shop and Soil Hill area but amazingly missed me at home despite being stood on the garden bench, camera in hand ignoring the strange looks from the neighbours. Thanks for the call Howard, another 10 minutes and I was up Foxhill with the dogs where I,m sure I,d have got them from.
Another interesting text to me was from Gordon at Skipton reporting 200 Pinkies over along with an Osprey so theres chance of one yet.
An invasion of Redwings followed by Fieldfare should be the next on the list and then the mega move of Woodpigeons.
BS