Queensbury vis mig

•  Just over one hour this morning vis migging at the top of Blind Lane, Queensbury was reasonably quiet due to the bright clear skies. Most of the birds were coming down the air valley >S and >SW with a couple of species >W. 
•                          A good morning for Buzzards with 4 in the air together but very distant spread over Thornton, Clayton, Baildon and Bradford, all being local birds. Several Swallows moving but no Swift for the last few days now.
•                       Hopefully I get my wheels back tomorrow p.m. so should be back in action Wednesday to see what September brings to Fly Flatts.
• MC has found a muck heap near to where he lives and has reported 21 Yellow Wagtails there in the last couple of days.
• VISIBLE MIGRATION
• 39 Swallow..........................>SW
• 2 House Martin...................>SW
• 22 Meadow Pipits...............>S
• 11 Greylag geese................>W
• 4 Alba Wagtail...................>W
• 10 Linnet...........................>S
• 9 Herring gull...................>SW
• BS

•  A wander round Old Guy Road and Roper Lane this morning just produced 1 Wheatear and 4 Pied Wagtails on the cricket pitch whilst a group of 15 Herring gulls, both adults and juvs flew over high and very noisy >SW.
• This afternoon saw the very distant Spitfire fly over Bradford Royal Infirmary at a great distance from Foxhill then disappeared towards Shelf heading for Halifax. A bit of a poor show for BRI as it shot straight over them as if a Messerschmitt was chasing it. 
• I thought it would have come over Foxhill area but Spitfires must be like Ospreys and dont like flying over Queensbury.
• 
  
  
     Poor do for the few that were stood holding their phones ready for a pic.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Almost September so I,ve put together some of the better species seen in previous Septembers
• 
  
  
                                       Whinchat
  
  
                                  and family
  
  
  
  
  
                                 Wigeon
  
  
                                Usually Peregrines around
  
  
                                  Pochard on Mixenden
  
  
  
  
  
                Fly Flatts is always good for Yellow Legged Herring gull
  
  
  
  
  
                   First Pink Foooted Geese move in September
  
  
  
  
  
         Golden Plovers on the mud
  
  
                        Ravens are a common sight now
  
  
                                      Common Scoter on Fly Flatts
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
            Ruff on Fly Flatts north shore
  
  
  
  
  
                     Bar Headed goose, Fly Flatts
  
  
                                     Black Redstart, Fly Flatts
  
  
             A rare visitor to Fly Flatts, Bard Owl
  
  
                                                  Pere
  
                     Fly Flatts Wheatear with Newt
  
  
                                   Dodgy characters on the top road. DJS,  DP.
• BS

Looking for local gulls.

                                  Juv Robin, just got its red breast

                                            Juv Dunnock

                                   Common gull still in summer plumage

                   Common gull and Black Headed , BH now lost its summer hood

                      Common gull getting winter head streaking.

               Single LBB in moult, Pit Lane football pitch

•  Car less today so out on foot with a walk to the north end of Queensbury to check the gull situating which was disappointing on big gulls with just a single Lesser Black Backed though plenty Commons and Black Headeds.
• Pit Lane was the best bet with 38 Commons, 72 Black Headed and a single Lesser Black Backed
• whilst several Linnets and Goldfinch were in the surrounding bushes.
•                                                    A few more Commons on Low Lane in the horse fields whilst a distant Golden Plover was in the Lapwing breeding field.
• Blind Lane just held Black Headeds, and a bit of sky watching over the Aire Valley provided 2 Buzzard plus a scattering of Swallows and Meadow Pipits heading >S.
•                                 Raggalds Flood was ,as expected, almost dried up and doesnt hold water for more than a couple of days now since the farmer dug out the drain.
•                            One boring day out of the way with 3 more to go then back to Fly Flatts on Wednesday. Walking Queensbury is alright but more time is spent dodging traffic and people than birding.
• BS

Disaster on the birding scene for Bank Holiday.

•  A none birding day today with the car back in for warranty work which was supposed to be done in the day until a phone call telling me it isn,t finished yet, pick it up Tuesday tea time because of Bank Holiday.
• I,ve got a courtesy car but no dogs allowed in it plus its only 6 month old and immaculately clean so I dare,nt take it down the muddy track to Fly Flatts. Looks like its going to be a long weekend, like being back on lock down. 
• It,ll just be a matter of searching some local areas for a few decent gulls.
•                                                          Talking of gulls, like it or not, we are now into gull season and watching out for those white winged gulls which is a great challenge for the few local birders that are interested.
• To fill a space in tonights blog I,ve put a few special gulls together mostly from earlier this year during the winter.  Watch those reservoirs for winter gulls, Kittiwakes and Terns.
• 
  
  
                                      Common Gull
  
  
                                 ad Herring gull
  
  
                               Iceland Gull  Redcar Tarn. Found by IH et al
  
  
                                   relocated by KM   1st winter
  
  
  
  
  
                          1st winter Caspian, Redcar Tarn, found by KM
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
                                     Iceland
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
                       Fly Flatts sub adult Yellow Legged Herring gull
  
  
                                  Caspian
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
                               2nd winter Caspian, Redcar Tarn  Finder , KM
  
  
                                2nd winter Caspian, LH bird
  
  
                                   Fly Flatts Yellow Legged Herring gull adult
• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• all images, BS