Fly Flatts late afternoon in better wind conditions with a SW>4 but only 10 % cloud cover showing blue skies and sunshine.
This has got to have been one of the quietest starts to October for several years with birds reluctant to move and another watch of empty skies. Even the morning vis miggers are getting low counts with no explosions of moving birds as yet with only winter thrushes and Woodpigeons to go now in any great numbers.
Meadow Pipits are mostly gone now and once again very low counts up to the tens of thousands we used to get years ago over Windy corner where they used to get uncountable piling through in swarms. We even had them flying through the legs of our tripods , HC,DCB will remember those days well.
Back to Fly Flatts where 360 degrees scans were producing nothing in the sky with just the Mallards on the water and 6 Red Legged Partridge present ,these probably being released birds from TMR.
To save dying of boredom I packed up earlier and called at Cold Edge Dams but more or less the same here with a male Stonechat and a single female Tufted duck on Leadbeater dam plus the usual Mallards and geese.
The highlight occurred on the way back with a Swallow feeding over trees at Wainstalls by the Delvers which did,nt seem to be in any rush to go anywhere. My latest Swallow was last year on 12/10/17.
Got to get the camera ready now as AH has promised me the North Yorkshire White Tailed Sea Eagle over Fly Flatts tomorrow.
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.(2025).