Redcar Tarn

 

                                 Yesterdays long billed Herring type was present again today.

                       Possible 1st winter Yellow Legged Herring but still under investigation.

                                           Not many big gulls on the water

               Another questionable Herring / Caspian type though tibia looks short for  Cas.

                                                    LBB and Herring

A morning of thick fog and torrential rain no match abandoned until mid afternoon.

Another visit to Redcar Tarn was very wet and windy and once again most of the big gulls were at the far end of a distant field with their heads down against the wind.

                                                      Unbelievable that a check through around 200 Black Headed gulls failed to find a Med gull but this was made more difficult , being Sunday, with car after car pulling up and chucking tons of food out just as you get half way through a check, then when they settle, its start again time.

                 The long billed Herring type gull came back to the water briefly which I suggested possible

Herring/Caspian hybrid but now needing more checking as possible 1st winter Yellow Legged Herring gull.

        A second questionable gull appeared at a distance with a striking white head. Taking it that this is the same bird, it has been reported as 1st year Herring/Caspian  and 2nd year Herring. Another one to look into.

               Otherwise it was just down to the usuals with no sign of the Teals or Shoveler from yesterday.

The BH gull with the white leg ring from yesterday is a Norwegian bird whilst the adult Herring gull with the yellow leg ring was rung in York.

                    Looking like another very wet and windy day again tomorrow to start off November.

BS

Leeshaw/Redcar Tarn

 

REDCAR TARN                       female Shoveler

                                     Ad Herring with yellow leg ring, too distant to read

                                        Flew before I could scope it.

     Interesting Common gull. Still summer plumage bright yellow legs and bill

                                                 but getting winter head streaks.

                                        Very long bill on this 1st winter Herring

                                 Will have to look into 1st winter Caspian x Herring

                                             Black Headed with leg ring

                                               Nice 1st winter Common gull

                 1st winter Goosander, thought I was onto another Red Breasted Merganser

Leeshaw Reservoir.  Another reasonable morning weather wise with full cloud but good visibility with a couple of light showers on a S>3 at 8 degrees.

                              A much quieter morning with all yesterdays waterfowl moved on leaving a few Mallard and 3 white Greylags on the water.

Starlings were still moving through but a low count of gulls with around 80 small gulls on the shore

along with 9 LBBs and just 1 Herring although BV got a cracking adult Yellow Legged Herring gull there this afternoon.

                           Mid afternoon at Redcar Tarn found most of the big gulls two fields away by the farm with none in the cemetery field. Still some nice gulls to look through with the one pictured having an outstandingly longer bill than others present whilst an adult Herring had a yellow leg ring along with a Black Headed with a white leg ring , both of which I,ll have to check up on.

                             A 1st winter Goosander had me dashing round the water for a better view with thoughts of Red Breasted Merganser, but not to be, whilst 2 Teal were on the island and a female Shoveler on the water.

Leeshaw

9 LBB gull

1 Herring gull

c 80 BH gull

3 White Greylag

1 Cormorant

sev Starlings...............>NW

+ usual sp.

Redcar Tarn

1 First winter Goosander

1 f Shoveler

2 Teal

c 30 Tufted

1 Herring with yellow leg ring

1 BH gull with White leg ring

+ usual sp

BS

Leeshaw buzzing a.m./Ogden p.m.

 

Leeshaw Reservoir                           Greylag in the goose field.

                                                   Teal dropping in under the banking,

                                                     Teal and Wigeon.

                                                   2 nice male Wigeon.

                                                A mix of Teal and Wigeon

                                                        Wigeon

                                                                            Teal

                                                     Several Meadow pipit still present

                                                         Starlings heading >NW

                                                               Gulls on the water.

Ogden Reservoir                            3 f Goosander with the gulls

                                                       1st winter Herring gull

A decent morning at Leeshaw after overnight rain. A clear sky on a light S>3 inc 4 with 50% blue sky at 10 degrees.

                  Mipits,Starlings and Woodpigs were moving but the mornings entertainment was on the water. To start the show 18 Wigeon dropped in from the west settling on the water followed by 8 Teal then 2 more groups of 4 making 16 Teal and 18 Wigeon all together on the water.

The group then split up with some remaining on the water and others settling under the east bank out of the strengthening wind. A spectacular sight for this location.

                 One hour at Ogden p.m. in decent weather, other than a couple of light drizzle showers, produced a nice count of gulls with LBBs and Herrings on the water and post roost small gulls on the west peninsular. A careful scan through failed to find a Med gull but its got to be my target bird for Ogden this winter.

                             After a move of Wigeon and Teal it was surprising for none to be on the water at Ogden with just 3 female Goosander present getting harassed by the gulls.

Leeshaw

21 Mipits..................>S

137 Starling.............>NW

42 Woodpigs...........>S

18 Wigeon

16 Teal

3 Reed Bunting

72 Greylag

12 Mipit present

Ogden

3 f Goosander

21 LBB gull

23 Herring gull, 1- ad,  2- 1st winter

21 LBB adults and 1st winters

c 50 small gulls

1 Kingfisher

1 Dipper

BS

Leeshaw reservoir/ Fly Flatts

 A deteriorating morning at Leeshaw reservoir with a clear dry start and a light S>3 at 12 degrees but by 0900 hrs the wind began to increase and heavy drizzle clouds moved over. 

                                                               Vis Mig seems all but over now for another year unless we get a blast of very late Fieldfares which so far, for some reason have not materialized as well as the usual skies full of Woodpigeons.

                                 A few Woodpigs and Starlings were on the move early doors before the clouds darkened and the drizzle moved in but otherwise nothing much in the skies.

Small passerines were the bird of the morning moving between the shore, the 2 trees and the field with Reed Bunting, Mipit, Goldfinch and Dunnock whilst the Wigeon was still on the water, teamed up with a pair of Mallard. 

                         A few gulls on the shore but mostly BH and Commons with just 2 Herring and 10 LBBs.

BV checked nearby Lower Laithe when he left Leeshaw and re located a Goldeneye on its second day there.

        A very dark and windy Fly Flatts mid afternoon brought a rare sighting for this year with a Short Eared Owl battling in the wind very distant to the north of the water. Otherwise it was just down to a Kestrel, Buzzard and Red Legged Partridge.

The weather for tomorrow looks like a duplicate of today with a moderate wind by midday and more rain.

Leeshaw

2 Herring gull

10 LBB gull

c 100 small gull

5 Reed Bunting

1 Dunnock

2 Goldfinch

28 Mipit

1 Wigeon

+ usual sp

Fly Flatts

1 SEO

1 Kestrel

1 Buzzard

1 RL Partridge.

BS

Leeshaw Reservoir/ Ogden Reservoir.

 

                                       First and last glimpse of the morning sun.

LEESHAW                             Wigeon still present from yesterday with Mallards.

                                      Same Wigeon in the goose field.

OGDEN                                     LBB gulls

                                                 1st winter LBB

                                                      Herring and Common

                                                                       LBB

                                                  

                                          Black Headed and Common on the shore.

                           Kingfisher way down in the sluice gate area.

A very windy day with a SW>5 increasing 6 and gusting near gale 7 by midday with a few light showers a.m. on a 100% cloudy sky at 11 degrees. The wind remained strong throughout the afternoon but reading on the Queensbury Beaufort scale as ' nobbut a stiff breeze'. Queensbury folk are designed to walk at 45 degrees into the wind but tend to fall over when they get off the bus in Bradford with no wind to support them.

                        Leeshaw reservoir was very quiet this morning in the strong wind with the only signs of visible migration being a few Woodpigs and a handful of Starlings otherwise empty skies apart from the gulls. 

        Yesterdays Wigeon was still present in with Mallards, first on the water and then in the goose field as I was leaving, whilst 5 Meadow Pipits were on the shore and fields which could be late movers or over wintering birds.

          With the wind still blowing mid afternoon I cautiously headed for Ogden in hopes of downed waterfowl looking for shelter. Although it is school holidays I depended on the bad weather to keep the crowds away which worked well with a pleasing lack of public present.

            Too dark to scour the Alders for passerines although a nice flock of Chaffinch were down on the shore eating their favourite weeds but no Brambling as yet but looking good if the water level stays down.

A good selection of gulls on the water and shore to check through but failed to find a Med or Yellow Legged but post roost numbers building nicely so worth regular checks.

Leeshaw

1 Wigeon

3 Herring gull

12 LBB gull

c 150 BH gull

5 Mipits

+ usual sp.

Ogden

21 Chaffinch

1 Kingfisher

8 Herring gull

19 LBB gull

12 Common gull

c 50 BH gull

+ usual sp.

BS