Leeshaw/Mixenden Reservoirs.

    Leeshaw                                 Herring gull

    Seems strange photographing Oystercatchers in January

 Mixenden                 1 of 2 female Goldeneye

                                   Goosander and Goldeneye

                                            male Goosander

                                         3m 2f Goosander

                                   Plenty fighting going on with the males

                               1st yr Herring with Goosanders

                                All photos very distant in drizzle.

                                                 More scrapping

                                       3 Cormorant present

As promised, a wet windy day but remaining birdable throughout.
Leeshaw this morning was dull with drizzle showers on a moderate SW>5 which had decreased through the night leaving some traffic problems on the way to Leeshaw with a fallen tree blocking the road at Keelham.
The afternoon at Mixenden was still SW>5 with a mix of rain and drizzle but more sheltered on the west bank in the lee of Hunter Hill.
                                              The 2 Oyks were still at Leeshaw looking now as if they are going to stay rather than just move through. Otherwise it was all the usual species but a low count of geese and big gulls.
                                               The water at Mixenden was lively with a good count of Goosander and 2 female Goldeneye whilst several small gulls were on the water along with 3 Herring gulls, all 1st winter birds. Nothing special but enough to keep me interested and enough to spice up the blog with photos.

Leeshaw reservoir
38 Greylag
26 Canada
1 Cormorant
16 Mallard
1 Herring gull ad
1 Oystercatcher
1 m Goosander

Mixenden
3m 2f Goosander
2f Goldeneye
3 Cormorant
3 Herring gull  1st winters
1 Canada
1pr Mallard
1 Goldfinch
sev small gulls
BS

Redcar Tarn.

                       Lesser Black Backed gull, adult

                                                   Herring gull 3rd winter

                                    A handsome pair.

                    Gulls in the Tarn Lane field inc both Caspians.

                 2nd winter Caspian above and centre rear below.

A strange morning at Redcar Tarn in decent conditions with 90% cloud cover at 5 degrees on a SW>4. For some reason all the gulls were reluctant to come to the water with all the big gulls, including the 2 Caspians, in the Tarn Lane field next to the building site. Later in the morning the Iceland showed up briefly on the water then turned up in the field at the top side of the water behind the Hawthorn hedge but keeping at distance.
                                                                I spent most of my time there checking out the hedge finding
Brambling, Chaffinch, Redpoll, Siskin, Redwing and Goldfinch but all very mobile and sticking in the shelter of the lower parts of the hedge.
                                                             Around 10 birders up there including HC, DW, and JM who all got to see both species. Some impressive looking hardware up there with lenses that made Big Bertha look more like Tiny Tim though usually the 3 target birds come near enough to the shore, or on the shore, where you could take them with a mobile phone.
                                                           By late afternoon the wind was building up with drizzle and low cloud so I decided on a local dog walk and get the last of the 3 dogs bathed and groomed which has taken me every evening this week but thats it now for them for another 6 weeks.
                                                           At the moment the wind is lifting the roof off the house with a blasting W>9 strong gale but its suppose to blow itself out shortly with a wet and windy day promised for tomorrow.

Redcar Tarn
Caspian gull      1st and 2nd winter
Iceland gull       1st winter
Brambling          3
Siskin                 6
Redpoll              1
Chaffinch           sev
Redwing            sev
Goldfinch          sev
+ usual sp.
BS

Another early bird, Leeshaw.

        Leeshaw  Plenty Fieldfare and Starling
                         plus a few Redwing.

                         Early birds back, 2 Oystercatchers

                   Very distant across the water

A cold, wet and windy morning at Leeshaw with a W>6 gusting near gale 7 and heavy drizzle showers at 3 degrees.
                                 Around 60 Fieldfare, 100 Starling and 9 Redwing were in the stubble field whilst the water held a low number of small gulls along with 1 Cormorant and a single male Goosander.
                                The strong westerlies did the trick bringing in 2 very early Oystercatchers way across the water in the field with gulls before moving onto the wall. My first Oyks at this site last year were on the 18th Feb.
                                Late afternoon the forecast was for rain by 1600 hrs and wind increasing so a trip to Redcar Tarn was planned but after getting side tracked before I set off the rain decided to come in early as well as the strengthening wind so where now.
I dare,nt do Ogden as I had accumulated quite a bit of photographic gear in the car, and not all mine, so I wasnt going to let the car out of my sight so ended up at Ned Hill track to walk the dogs and watch over the Causeway Foot Col.
                          The wind was near gale force W>7 at 33 m.p.h. with some heavy drizzle showers which didnt bother the gulls coming through. By the end of the watch I,d had several Herring and LBBs >SW and 2 GBBs >NE as well as a Raven and plenty corvids.
                         Its looking like the strong winds are to continue until the middle of next week, possible reaching storm force by late afternoon tomorrow for a while, so we,d better get used to them, at least it keeps the fog away.

Leeshaw reservoir
1m Goosander
1 Cormorant
c60 Fieldfare
c 100 Starling
9  Redwing
c 50 small gulls
2 Herring gull
2 Oystercatchers.............1st back.

Causeway Foot Col
2 GBB gull................>NE
14 Herring gull.........>SW
6 LBB gull...............>SW
1 Raven
+ usual Corvids
BS

Iceland weather a.m. / Iceland gull p.m.

                                        Snowstorm at Ogden

                                           A snowy Queensbury

               Redcar Tarn, Keighley.  1st winter Iceland gull

                                   Black Headed with summer hood

                                                    Iceland

   Still no flight shot but got the under wing that
                        I was after.

        2nd winter Caspian with a billy bad head on.

                                         1st winter Caspian

                       

                                                      2nd

         Still playing with yesterdays cig lighter

                              2nd winter Caspian showing leg ring

                                           2 megas

I set off for Redcar Tarn this morning with a covering of snow but bright skies until I got over Mountain area when the snow started coming again so a quick divert to Ogden which I thought was far enough to go in the conditions.
                                           Ogden was bright and clear on a icy cold W>5 at 1 degree with some light snow showers but by the time I,d walked half way round the water things began to look serious with snowflakes the size of half crowns coming down and the mist moving in.
                                        A quick abort and back to the car with a steady drive home passing several wagons stuck on Keighley Road and Keelham hill.
                                        Bird wise I came across a tit flock with around 30 birds, mainly Blue, Great and Coal along with several Goldcrest and a single female Bullfinch. An over wintering Chiffchaff was in with the group and even kept calling. Unfortunately thats when the blizzard started so no time to check through for that long overdue Firecrest in the area, the last one being 2/11/13 found by DF.
                                    Late afternoon and an improvement in the weather with a moderate W>5 and sleet showers so off to Redcar Tarn to check the gull situation.
                                      Good to meet Keith Moir and Fred Drake up there as well as a couple more birders. All 3 target birds were on the water showing well but again reluctant to fly but I managed to get the Iceland and 2nd winter Caspian with raised wings for an under wing shot which is what I wanted. Its lucky that the Iceland gull has hung on so long giving several birders chance to see such a rare species for this area.

Ogden
1 Chiffchaff
1 f Bullfinch
Gt Spotted Woodpecker
sev Goldcrest
Blue, Great and Coal tit flock.

Redcar Tarn, Keighley
1st and 2nd winter Caspian gull
1st winter Iceland gull
+ usual sp.
BS