Again dense fog at Fly Flatts so another visit to Ogden which I thought was pushing my luck on a Sunday morning but it turned out surprisingly quiet until 0930 hrs when cars started piling in.
Conditions were slightly misty but dry with a NW>4 blowing soon clearing the skies making good visibility. Vig mig was reasonably busy with a good variety of species
but no Pinks over and still no Redwing or Fieldfare.
First surprise was 10 Teal coming in to land on the water staying throughout but keeping a good distance away making photos hard in the dark conditions, meanwhile 2 Shelduck nearly gave me the slip coming over the water high and fast before disappearing over the plantation >E towards Soil Hill.
Otherwise it was normal migration stuff plus the Dipper and Kingfisher down in the sluice gate area.
Fly Flatts late p.m. was almost unworkable with bank after bank of mist, torrential rain and horizontal drizzle blasting across from the NW making it difficult to view the water with the rain hitting you face on. A 10 minute dry period gave me chance to scan round and check the shorelines and water whilst a very muddy walk on the south shore to the SW corner failed to find any of yesterdays Wheatear. Annoying, once again, as soon as I got away from the top of the hill there were blue clear skies. I think after this season, with so many wasted journeys up there, I,ll be looking for somewhere more east to get me away from that dreaded western ridge which produces all the mist and fog.
Last week a top official from Yorkshire Water visited Fly Flatts to check on the work up there on an exceptionally bad day and he remarked that he had never been to such an awful
God forsaken place in all his life.
Another forecast of rain and fog for tomorrow , Tuesday and Wednesday but hopefully they,ll be wrong.
Ogden Vis Mig
13 Starling..............................>NW
9 Swallow..............................>S
6 House Martin.....................>S
14 Chaffinch.........................>W
4 Raven................................>NW
2 Shelduck...........................>E
16 Mipits.............................>S
25 Woodpigs.......................>SE
Present
10 Teal
11 BH gull
4 Common gull
1 Dipper
1 Kingfisher
Fly Flatts, present
35 Canadas
18 Mallard
6 Tufted
1 Cormorant...............>NE
BS