Giving Fly Flatts an afternoon off and chance to get its act together I took a stroll up Ringby Top on the yearly winter pilgrimage of searching for Larks, Pipits and Buntings, none of which showed themselves today. January is not providing the birds so far but its certainly being kind with the weather with a light cool W>4 and 100 % cloud cover with good visibility .
Muck spreading has been taking place on the top Wagtail field so this area was alive with small gulls, Corvids, Fieldfare , Mistle Thrushes and Starlings but nothing smaller could be found although the field has a rise in it hiding the further part from view.
Several Goldfinch were in the quarry in an area that is 200% right for Snow Bunting with short weedy grass, gravel areas and small ponds with reeds growing. This area has got to pick up something over the winter, its the sort of unique area that our old late ,great birder Tony Gough used to say "If this area doesnt provide birds I,ll show my bare backside outside Leeds town hall ", whether or not he ever did we,ll never know but just on the strength of it I,ll get some seed down up there next visit.
A thorough zig zag search of the Bunting field found nothing and did,nt even flush a Snipe which is unusual though this area also shows plenty potential.
On the way back down the track to Swalesmoor, Queensbury end, another 15 Mistle Thrushes were in the cow field but hard to see in the long grass.
Just a word of warning if you go up there from the Queensbury end, a large steel gate has been fixed across the public right of way track and bridleway so you have a bit of
SAS type scrambling over the top of it but it is quite legal as they are illegal blocking the way.
c 35 Mistle Thrush
c20 Goldfinch
3 Fieldfare
1 Buzzard
1 Sparrowhawk
6 Herring gull
Loadsa small gulls, Corvids, Starlings and Woodpigs.
BS