A damp but eventful morning at Fly Flatts and a gull check at Ogden p.m.

 

                                               1 of 6 Wheatear

                                   Good move of Black Headed gulls

                                          Not a common bird at Fly Flatts

                                                   1 of 4 Raven.

                                                 19 Stonechat moving through

  OGDEN                                 Common gull

                 Left -   2nd winter with grey/green legs and black ring on bill                                                                     Right - adult summer with yellow bill and yellow legs. Just starting to get                                                                                                           head streaks.

•                                 2nd summer still with yellow bill but winter head streaking
•   
• A dull full cloud morning at Fly Flatts with light rain throughout turning heavy by end of watch.
• A mild S>4 at 9 degrees with some low cloud over the western ridge keeping the birds low.
•                                                Once again a variety of species but only low numbers though BH gulls showed well for this site. 
• A mid watch scan of the track fencing found an amazing 19 Stonechat lined up along the barbed wire before moving off to another fence, then a wall, before heading off over the Flat Moor>S. 
•                                     Wheatears are still present and most vis mig sites are still getting Swallows through. I had 7 over the water today + another 3 again over Bradshaw which seem to still be using a barn there.
•                             A quick visit to Ogden late afternoon to do a gull and wildfowl check whilst the weather was wet knowing it would keep the public at bay which it did, finding it very quiet and nearly an empty car park.
•                             Just a single Great Crested Grebe on the water along with a Cormorant and the usual Mallards. The gull situation was quiet with just a single 1st year LBB , 27 BHGs and 3 Common gulls but none that I could check had rings, or as NK would put it, none wearing jewellry. 
• VISIBLE MIGRATION
• 12 BH gull...................>SE
• 1 Jay............................>NW
• 2 LBB gull.................>SE
• 51 Mipits...................>S
• 19 Stonechat.............>S   ground hopping
• 8 Reed Bunting.........>S
• 7 Swallow................>S   + 3 at Bradshaw
• 4 Alba Wagtail.........>SE
• PRESENT
• 4 Raven
• 1 Pied Wagtail
• 6 Wheatear
• OGDEN
• 27 BH gull
• 1 LBB gull
• 3 Common gull
• 1 Gt Crested Grebe
• 1 Cormorant
• + usual sp.
• BS                           

A better morning at Fly Flatts and Stonechats galore on Foreside Bottom Lane p.m.

 

                 Strange place for a Woodpig but a good reason for it, read on..

            Fly Flatts                                6 Wheatear present

                     18 Reed Bunting present  before moving off >SE

                                   2 of 5 Greylags in from the east

                                          Ravens scuffling with Sparrowhawk

Foreshaw Bottom Lane                      At least 11 Stonechat present

                                  Early morn mist in the valley below Fly Flatts.

• A bright morning with blue sky and sunshine at 8 degrees on a light NW>2 to 3 with banks of mist down in the valleys.
•                                      Much livelier at Fly Flatts this morning both in the air and on the ground with a good variety of species but no high numbers and no more geese as yet. Driving there this morning 5 Swallows were on the wires in Bradshaw with another 4 over the water mid morn.
•                                    A single Green Woodpecker briefly on the wall then off west was unusual for this site whilst 18 Reed Buntings were in the single tree by the lagoon before moving off >SE.
•                                    First signs of Woodpigeons moving today which is a little early , this species usually being amongst the last to leave. A single Woodpig was in the reeds at the SE corner sat partly in the water which seemed strange but as it eventually came out into the open the reason became apparent with ruffled feathers and most of its tail ragged off. My guess is it had a near to death experience with the local Peregrine and dropped down into the reeds for safety.
• Luckily it could fly but keeping low and rather wobbly.
•                                  Late afternoon I did one of my old Bradford area stomping grounds to see if I could pick up Ring Ouzel , which never happened but Foreside Bottom Lane is such a vast area of moorland and impossible to do a thorough search.
•                                   One area alone held at least 11 Stonechats and 4 Wheatear as well as several Mipits and Reed Buntings. Big gulls were overhead heading towards the Oxenhope roost. An interesting area and a good Visible Migration area.
• Visible Migration
• 1 Green Woodpecker...........>W
• 4 Swallow...........................>S
• 87 Mipits...........................>S
• 16 Woodpigs.....................>S
• 18 Reed Bunting..............>SE
• 3 LBB gull.......................>NE
• 1 Snipe.............................>NW
• 1 Buzzard.........................>S
• 5 Chaffinch......................>SE
• 8 Jackdaws......................>S
• PRESENT
• 1 Sparrowhawk
• 2 Raven
• 6 Wheatear
• 3 Stonechat
• 5 Greylag geese
• FORESIDE BOTTOM LANE
• 11 Stonechat
• 4 Wheatear
• sev Mipits
• + usual sp.
• BS
• 
  

Not the place to be for Vis Mig today, Fly Flatts, (permit only).

 

                                  2 out of 3 Wheatear believed to be Greenlands

                                            very long legged bulky bird

                                        Showing 7 Primary tips.

                                         Peregrine on watch in the mist

                                              1 of 2 Pied Wagtail.

• A foggy start to the morning not clearing until 0845 hrs leaving it misty with a low cloud base and a very light W>3 at 6 degrees.
•                         Even when the sky cleared enough to view there was nothing moving over the area at all. This happens each year for some reason at this site with moving birds over until the end of September and then it goes very quiet apart from bits and bats plus the Pinkies. This must be due to the altitude and colder air  which birds are reluctant to rise up into.
•                        A matter of ground watching today plus resident birds with 3 Wheatear, 2 of which I believe to be Greenlands, plus a Peregrine sat out on distant rocks on the moor for over 1 hour, probably the same as me, wondering where all the birds were.
•                       A group of 4 Raven were up together along with 2 Kestrels whilst 2 Pied Wagtails were on the shoreline. An early finish with boredom setting in and no afternoon session.
• PRESENT
• 2 Pied Wagtail
• 1 nth Wheatear
• 2 Greenland Wheatear
• 1 Peregrine
• 4 Raven
• 2 Kestrel
• 3 Mipits.
• BS 

Another windy morning, Fly Flatts, (permit only)

                                           Unusual to get Common Gull at Fly Flatts

                                       Good move of big gulls.

• 

•  Another cold morning at 7 degrees but feeling much colder in the moderate N>5 with broken cloud and sunshine.
•                                 It was mainly down to the big stuff moving today with Fly Flatts being a poor vantage point when the wind rushes through between the ridges stopping the passerine movement dead. Most of the Redwing movement today seemed to be to the east of me with none showing to the west where my watching takes place.
•                               The only passerines through were Alba Wagtails, a few Mipits and a single Swallow whilst the maritime stuff kept the job going.
•                              Disappointing not to get a big push of Pinkies today in what seemed like perfect conditions but not to be. The morning was so poor that I again blobbed on the afternoon shift and knocked some more jobs off the list.
• VISIBLE MIGRATION
• 1 Swallow....................>SE
• 46 Mipits....................>S
• 3 Stonechat................blogging
• 6 Alba Wagtail.............>S
• 1 Cormorant...............>NE
• 1 Common gull......on water then >NE
• 11 Herring gull..........>SW
• 181 LBB gull............>SE
• 2 Snipe.....................>NW
• PRESENT
• 26 Canada geese
• + usual sp.
• BS

Icy cold 3 degrees winds at Fly Flatts, (permit only)

 

                                      Buzzard enjoying hovering in the wind

                                                               Early morn at Fly Flatts

                                    A nice reed bed created in the SE corner

                          Should be good for Jack Snipe if the water stays down.

• Another morning of strong winds at a low temperature of 3 degrees but bright skies and cloudy sunshine.
•                With the icy cold wind funneling across the water between the east and west ridge movement was very limited leaving it to the raptors and gulls with only a few Mipits, Alba Wagtails and 3 early squadrons of Starlings representing the passerines.
•                  The Buzzards, Merlin and Peregrine looked like movers rather than resident birds going by the height and direction that they moved over in whilst another local Buzzard spent time hovering in the wind over the east ridge. 
•                Due to it being so quiet plus boats on the water I took advantage and missed the afternoon session to get some jobs done.
•                   A cold start promised for the morning but a light north wind so could be a good Pinkie day.
• VISIBLE MIGRATION
• 1 Peregrine.......................>S
• 1 Merlin..........................>S
• 2 Buzzard.......................>SE
• 8 LBB gull.....................>NW
• 3 Herring gull................>NW
• 19 Meadow Pipits.........>S
• 36 Starling....................>NW    3 squadrons.
• 3 Alba Wagtail.............>S
• PRESENT
• 1 Buzzard
• 2 Carrion Crow
• no grounded Mipits, Stonechats or Wheatear.
• BS