Fly Flatts a.m. was thick fog but I took a gamble that it would clear which paid off by 0830 hrs leaving bright skies on a light NW>2 at 12 degrees and 50% cloud.
A continuation of yesterdays Mipits movement with wall to wall grounded Mipits around the shoreline with a big blast off >S as soon as the fog lifted leaving around 150 present on the deck.
Nothing else moving skyward other than a few Alba Wagtails but plenty of interest around the boatyard with passerines around the wire fence and single tree.
The south shore produced 4 Northern Wheatear along with a single Greenland standing out as a bigger,bulkier bird with deep buff underparts, long legs and longer winged with a count of 8 primary tips. Greenlands are usually among the last to come through in autumn.
Mid afternoon was hot and sticky with a light NW>2 at Doe Park and very little of interest apart from the usuals on the water. After a 1 hour wait me and 2 other local birders were watching 2 Buzzard up on the thermals to the north when a text from MP and a call from DB both at the same time saying the Osprey had just appeared at the south side of the water above where DB and RH were stood on the shore whilst MP was up above on the hillside.
The Osprey, which I had seen 1 hour earlier very briefly over Hewenden, was very distant to us, standing at the north end of the water, and soaring very high. It showed no interest in the water but
spiraled up until it was lost from view. This is the behavior performed when a bird is leaving , firstly getting its bearings before climbing high and moving off. Moving conditions were ideal for it today with a light tail wind and high,clear skies. This is the 3rd time that I,ve said its possibly gone so its a matter of wait and see although the bird is acting differently now than in the past.
One of the birders I was stood with, sorry I didnt get your names though Ive met you both several times, informed me that an Osprey in Nidderdale once stayed on until December. This one will need an ice pick if it stays so long. He also got a report that the Osprey, or another bird, was seen over Mixenden yesterday.
FIRST SKEINS OF PINKS SHOULD BE SEEN ANY DAY NOW.
Fly Flatts Vis Mig
c 200 Mipits...................>S
c 150 Mipits .................blogging
5 Alba Wagtails ............>S
4 Alba Wagtails.............blogging
Bloggers :-
5 Reed Bunting
2 Stonechat
4 Nth Wheatear
1 Greenland Wheatear
3 Wrens
18 Goldfinch
Doe Park
1 Osprey
2 Buzzard
4 Grey Wagtail
1 Sparrowhawk
2 Cormorant
+ usual sp.
BS