Geese and Greenlands. Leeshaw a.m/ Fly Flatts p.m.

                                                        Woodpigeons starting to move

                              379 Pink Footed geese past Leeshaw

                                     In 4 skeins but distant.

                                      Leeshaw Sparrowhawk

                                    Sprawk harassed by House Martin.

                                               White Wagtail. Fly Flatts

             

            Fly Flatts Greenland Wheatear

     Taller than the 2 Northerns present , long legs

                                          Whiter face

                                                      Buff underside

   Usually stands on sign posts. ( I made that one up) !

                                                    Grey/Brown back

                                           Long primaries

                                       Very bright butch looking bird.
            Without actual measurements plumage details are inconclusive
                  but looks good to me.

Leeshaw Reservoir a.m.
  Setting off from home in mist I ran into bright sunshine and blue skies so I thought Fly Flatts should be ok but that was until I got up there with a massive fog bank right along the western ridge with dense fog on the tops and no sign of it clearing. On then to Leeshaw and as soon as I dropped down the hill on Nab Water Lane towards Oxenhope I was back in sunshine.
                                                  Leeshaw was performing well with an excellent vis mig watch, even though it was late before I got organized with coming the long way round, with movement throughout including 4 Skeins of Pink Footed geese , 120.89, 68 and 102 totalling 379 geese. Good numbers of Mipits, Wagtails, House Martins and Swallows with a good variety of other species. All totals and report on Trektellen under heading of Fly Flatts .
                                           Fly Flatts late p.m. was very quiet with empty skies other than a few Mipits still coming over. The water only held 1 Canada and 2 Mallard with the Tufteds gone from the site. One of the 3 Wheatears present stood out as a Greenland whilst 5 female Pied Wagtails were on the shore, probably remnants of this mornings move. Other than that around 50 Greenfinch were on thistles with loads of Painted Lady and Red Admiral butterflies.
                                            A 15 minute watch on the Black Redstart failed to produce.
BS


         

Back to Fly Flatts at last.

                                        Herring gulls moving through

Another foggy morning sent me down below the cloud base to Ogden but very heavy rain throughout.
                                                             Due to the path around the water being bogged down, and not wanting to bath the dogs, I stuck to the promenade and a short way on the east track.
The Dipper was down by the sluice gate but the water was void of bird life other than 2 Cormorants and the usual Mallards. Not far along the east track I came across a tit flock building up with several Great, Blue, Coal and Long Tailed tits along with around 5 Goldcrest and a late Willow Warbler.
Up to 9 Blackbird were also in the same area.
                                                            By late afternoon the fog had finally cleared  so another attempt to get to Fly Flatts which this time was successful although 4 fire engines were still present and damping down at the recycling centre near the Crossroads Inn which as I suspected was where Fridays fire was and the place is now gutted,.
                                                            A cold N>4 had cleared the fog but heavy drizzle was still falling drying up slightly before I left. Its an amazing sight up there with water pouring into the reservoir from all sides and the water it now nearly back up to where it started from, being just short of the floating jetty, even though the valve is open in an attempt to drain it.
                                                             The water held the same 12 Tufted duck with 2 Wheatear on the south shore whilst gulls were the bird of the afternoon with a constant flow >SW throughout, some very high and circling as they went.
A dryer day forecast for tomorrow but yet another fog warning for morning.

 41 Herring gull.................................>SW
18 LBB gull......................................>SW
2 Common gull.................................>SW
9 Black Headed gull.........................>NE
2 Wheatear
12 Tufted duck.
BS

Oh No! its happened again.

A real washout this morning with torrential rain, low clouds and a moderate WSW>4. With Fly Flatts in the clouds it was a wet dog walk at Ogden to check the water and get ourselves a good soaking.
With nothing present but a few BH gulls and the usual Mallards it was another early finish.
                                                         Late afternoon looked promising with blue skies and some sunshine so with my birding head back on we set off for Fly Flatts. As soon as we got near Mixenden I could smell the plastic burning smell from yesterdays fire and once again the road was closed but at the junction with Moorend Road , making it look as is the fire was possibly the recycle centre at the top of the hill. At least today I could go on Moorend Rd then back on towards Fly Flatts. That was until I got near the Crossroads Inn where a police van with blue lights flashing was across the road with accident, road closed signs, blocking the way.
                                                      Unbelievable, another turn round and another harassing drive to Leeshaw reservoir with more stop starts than a Bradford bus at rush hour.
A dog walk at Leeshaw, in thickening cloud and drizzle,  then a check round of the water and sky which were both very quiet with just a few Mallard , 4 Cormorant and 6 BH gulls.
                                                     After 15 minutes watching some joker decided to start blasting a 12 bore in the fields above the water which immediately spooked the dogs and sent them in the shivers so once again it was abandon ship and get off home. Two write offs in two days must be a record for me and another 3 days of cloud and heavy rain to look forward to yet.
                                                    Its a good job DF, PD, DR and AH were out there clocking up the Terns, well done lads.
BS

Today just was,nt meant to be.

Set off this morning towards a murky looking Fly Flatts but only got as far as Mixenden Reservoir to find plenty smoke and fire engines further along the road and all the roads closed off. A  massive build up of traffic soon appeared up but managed to turn around and head back to Keighley road.
                                                 By now time was moving on so rather than go through town to get to Fly Flatts or over the tops at Oxenhope I decided the quickest option was Leeshaw Reservoir, wrong.
With works traffic, the school run and the narrow roads full of parked cars I arrived at Leeshaw at 9.15 hrs with a throbbing neck and wound up like a ten bob watch.
                                             Too late to start vis migging  so a dog walk first job then back to the car to check the reservoir and sky when Lynda rang from home with severe neck pains with an ongoing problem from her mouth cancer operation, now 5 years ago.
Everything back in the car and a dash home and after a few phone calls it was off to the B.R.I. for tests and Xrays. A good 5 hours later we were home with good results so an afternoon well spent.
                                      Up in Foxhill park with the dogs then here endeth another day. The only thing bird wise was Jays collecting acorns from trees in the hospital car park.
Oh well, tomorrows another day.
BS

Fly Flatts without fog !!!!! (no public access)

At last a day without fog at Fly Flatts but several torrential downpours which the poor Bentley lads found out to their expense working on the west bank. Good job they,re a hardy bunch.
A light WSW>3 with 4/8 okts quickly clouding to 8/8 okts with a temp of 12 degrees and good visibility.
Water is pouring into the reservoir quicker than it can be drained out and the level is rising rapidly.
                                                           A disappointing day bird wise with good conditions this morning but very little on the move and still awaiting those big skeins of Pink Footed Geese over along with Whooper Swans. Also the first winter thrush sightings are imminent.
                                                           The Tufted duck group is still at 12 with 6 Teal and 2 Mallard present on the water whilst 6 BH gulls were on the north bank this morning briefly.
Best today was 2 Buzzard very high and >SW with 3 birds present along with 4 Wheatear.
Good to get some back up from the top road with DJS up there.
Poor Big Bertha was redundant today with not a picture worth taking.

Vis Mig
113 Mipits...............................>S
8 Reed Bunting.......................>SW
15 Linnet................................>SW
2 Buzzard...............................>SW
11 Skylark..............................>W
2 Swallow..............................>S

Present
12 Tufted
6 Teal
4 Mallard
6 BH gull
4 Wheatear
6 Canadas
3 Buzzard
4 Stonechat....DJS.
BS

Another day, another load of fog. Leeshaw Reservoir, a.m. Fly Flatts, p.m.(no public access)

   Invasion of Black Headed gulls with 235 present
                         and 171 over >SE with many not counted.

             A misty Oxenhope watch point, top of the horizon.

                                     Always a good spot for Cormorant.

                Good move of Lapwing besides locals

                                                                   BH gull

                                        Fly Flatts Wheatear, east shore

                1 of 2 Greenlands way over on the north shore.

                                          Northerns

With dense fog again at Fly Flatts I dropped down to Leeshaw which was below the cloud base and good moving conditions. A few fog banks were around but no real problem with a very light E>2 at 8/8 okts and temp of 10 degrees.
                                                  Its amazing how much more bird life there is at this location compared to Fly Flatts with a real hectic morning both with locals and movers. The first thing apparent was the number of Black Headed gulls with over 400 counted both moving and on the deck and water compared to 1 at Fly Flatts this p.m.
                                               My first taste of finch movement this time whilst Mipits were steady until 1015 hrs when they started pouring through very high but easy to spot in the light grey skies. They were still moving late afternoon over Fly Flatts but no time for a count as all the shorelines to check.
The last movers of the morning as I was tackling up were 15 pink Footed Geese way to the east of me heading >W at 1100 hrs.
                                   Fly Flatts was quiet late p.m. with just time for a check round before heavy drizzle and fog rolled in over the west ridge on a light W>3.
Mallard numbers are building with 12 on the water along with 9 Tufted and 3 Canadas whilst 7 Wheatear were present, 2 of which stood out as being Greenlands with much brighter plumage and larger structure.

Vis Mig, Leeshaw
10 Swallows...........................>SE
8 Alba Wagtails......................>S
367 Mipits.............................>SE
107 Lapwing.........................>NE     7, 15, 38, 47.
32 Starling............................>NW
4 Snipe.................................>W
28 Chaffinch........................>NW
11 Linnet.............................>W
9 Stock Dove......................>SW
15 Pinkies...........................>W
8 Skylark............................>W
171 BH gull.......................>SE

Present
53 Lapwing
18 Mallard
235 BH gull
3 Cormorant
5 LBB gull
1 Herring gull
2 Heron
1 Sparrowhawk.
BS

Double soaking. Ogden a.m. / Fly Flatts, p.m.(no public access)

                                     10 of 15 Tufteds.

Dense fog this morning so down to Ogden which was just below the cloud base.
Conditions looked good on a light SE>2 with some overhead movement starting up but 15 minutes into the visit the heavens opened and the rain lashed down in stair rods throughout the rest of the day.
                                                 Late afternoon at Fly Flatts found it clear with a light NW> 3 with again torrential rain which eased half way through the watch giving a 30 minute period of light rain before the next downpour which was enough time to achieve what I had gone up there to do, that being, check the water for wildfowl and the shore for waders.
                                                 Nothing waders wise although not the best of conditions for scoping the bank but the water was lively with a record count of 15 Tufted duck as well as 6 Teal , 5 Mallard and just the 1 Canada.
                                   Ogden this morning had 5 Tufted otherwise just the usual species.

Ogden , Vis Mig a.m.
21 Mipits.....................>S
32 BH gull .................>SW

Present
2 LBB gull
1 Herring gull
4 Common gull
1 Grey Wagtail
1 Dipper
1 Kingfisher
7 Cormorant
sev Mallard

Fly Flatts , Vis Mig  p.m.
15 Mipits..........................>S
8 LBB gull.......................>SW

Present
1 Canada
15 Tufted duck
6 Teal
5 Mallard.
BS


                             

Fly Flatts, (no public access)

                                             Lapwings on the move

                                       8 settled on the south shore.

                                    4 Wheatear present.

                               Canadas on the now submerged islands.

                                    Black Redstart still present

                                          Its favourite spot.

Fly Flatts at 0800 hrs had a low cloud base with mist patches over the west ridge on a light SW>£ at 7 degrees but brightening as the day wore on with bright skies late afternoon.
                                                           A steady vis mig watch with Mipits coming through after 0930 hrs but in ones and twos only with several heading >NW whilst Lapwings were the mover of the morning heading >SE with 8 staying on the south shore before moving off again.
                                                       A small tight bunch of 4 Coal Tits >W looked out of place over the water which held a good count of 16 Tufted and 18 Teal along with 5 Mallard.
A Peregrine did a fly over but didnt cause any problems.
                                                     By late afternoon the Teal and all but 12 Tufted had gone with 4 Wheatear on the shorelines.
The Black Redstart is still hanging on at Withins Head farm where I should think all interested birders will have seen it by now.

Vis Mig
54 Lapwing..........................>SE
148 Mipits...........................>SE
38 Mipits............................>NW
2 LBB gulls.......................>SW
4 Coal Tits.........................>W
3 Skylark...........................>S

Present
3 BH gull
7 Canadas
8 Lapwing
18 Teal
16 Tufted
4 Wheatear
Peregrine
2 Raven
5 Mallard
1 Black Redstart.

Wet and windy from tomorrow to the weekend which may liven the waders up.
BS