A snowy Queensbury, a.m. / Fly Flatts, birds in the snow, p.m.(permit only).

 

                                      A snowy start to the morning at Queensbury

                                                     Foxhill Park

                 A very rare visitor to Queensbury,  must be getting near election time.

                                                  Looking across the Aire valley from Foxhill

                                         Queues down Brighouse / Denholme Rd.

FLY FLATTS                                Lapwing in the snow

                                          Not oft you see Ringed Plovers in the snow.

                                        female, luckily not started breeding yet.

                                                                 male by the water.

Heavy overnight snow leaving bad road conditions early morn sent me dog walking over Foxhill after abandoning the morning birding session. A mid day shopping trip found very little snow on lower ground and by mid afternoon the snow was melting fast at Queensbury.

                     Fly Flatts had quite a bit of drifted snow but clear roads and track. A case of sunshine and snow showers on a cold N>4 at 1 degree. As I was leaving, the skies blackened and the snow blasted down blanking out all visibility but cleared by the time I,d dropped down to Wainstalls.

However do the birds, up on the tops, survive in conditions such as this.

                          As expected it was reasonably quiet with no sign of Curlew or Redshank leaving the peninsular empty but it was strange to watch the Ringed Plover pair dashing around feeding in the snow, a sight seldom seen.

                      Lapwings seemed to ignore the snow completely with several sitting eggs surrounded by snow whilst others were busy feeding on the waters edge. A single Skylark gave a half hearted attempt of singing and a noisy Raven was over the quarry.

                     With March gone and April arriving tomorrow I should be seeing the arrival of the first Common Sandpiper, Dunlin and Little Ringed Plover though the latter gave me a miss last year as they like plenty exposed shore which never happened last year at this site.

                     Sand Martins and Swallows are now sneaking into the area with 3 Swallows seen today over Paul Clough, Oxenhope as well as 2 Wheatear on Nab Water Lane though the Wheatear havent reached just as high as Fly Flatts yet.

                       Watch you don,t get fooled in the morning!!!!

BS

                                         

Fly Flatts in the snow, (permit only)

 

                                                A snowy scene at Fly Flatts mid afternoon.

                                     A band of mist over the water

                                    The peninsular through the blizzard.

                                                 The waders and Canadas did,nt seem to bother.

Heavy snow early morn and looking serious so did,nt risk a trip out other than dog walking although the snow amounted to nothing. Mid afternoon looked brighter and dry until I got to Fly Flatts where it snowed heavy continuously throughout though hardly settled. A light NE>2 at 2 degrees but not unpleasant to be out in though the low cloud and a band of mist hanging just above the water did,nt help matters.

            By the time I was packing up the snow was getting worse and starting to stick and after 4 hours of snow early evening Queensbury now has a good covering.

              The usual waders were present not seeming at all disturbed with the snow with 6 Redshank and the pair of Ringed Plover plus 2 Oystercatchers which are paired up and arrived a few days ago so possibly the 2 from Ogden.

                A single Snipe was chipping on the moor whilst the usual Canadas and the Barnacle were present.

BS

Ogden a.m./ Fly Flatts p.m.( permit only)

 

OGDEN                                 14 Teal in the mist early morn.

                                          1 pr of Gt Crested Grebe present.

                                          Plenty fish caught.

                                        Single male Bullfinch in passerine alley

                                                 as well as 5 Chiffchaff.

                                         Gt Crested Grebe, courtship display.

FLY FLATTS                            A busy peninsular, Tufted and Redshank

                                          

                                                Redshank and Ringed Plover

Thick fog on the tops this morning but Ogden remained misty but bird-able on a light E>2 at 7 degrees.

                                 A rare sight for Ogden with 14 Teal present out in the centre of the water,as always, and very difficult to see with the dark birds on dark water. Teal usually don,t show up in numbers at this site until the back end of the year.

                              Also on the water was a pair of Great Crested Grebe performing their courtship display which they do every year but never stay to breed. A single Canada goose was with the Mallards

but gulls were noticeable by their absence.

                               Very few small passerines other than Chiffchaffs and the usual species with just the one male Bullfinch whilst at least 6 Gt Spotted Woodpeckers were hammering at trees but remained unseen. 

            By mid afternoon Fly Flatts was very grey and misty with the wind turbines blanked out but decent visibility over the water.

                  All the action was again around the peninsular with 7 Redshanks plus the 2 Ringed Plovers

as well as Lapwings and 2 male with 1 female Tufted which were new arrivals. A single Snipe was on a distant wall in the top field.

                   Hopefully the snow forecast for tomorrow will be short lived with all the upland ground breeders now sitting eggs.

BS

Fly Flatts a.m.(permit only), TMR p.m. (B.O.G. members only)

 

FLY FLATTS                                    Waders enjoying the peninsular

                                                Redshank and Ringed Plovers

                                                       Plenty Curlew about

                                             First few Snipe up drumming

TMR                                        The local white Greylag.

                                                   Female Goldeneye

                                                      2 of 3 Tufted.

                                        Herrings and LBBs

                                              male Teal

                                                Herring

                                     Redshank in the sun disappearing into reeds.

                                                           LBB

                                              Distant drake Goldeneye.

                                                             2 Oystercatchers present.

                                                    Red Legged Partridge.

Much better weather today with a misty start at Fly Flatts and some drizzle on a calm W>2 at 6 degrees.

                             The birds were much livelier today in the fresher conditions but still very distant with waders using the north shore muddy bank as well as the ,now increasing, peninsular.

                            Redshank numbers are still increasing and another 2 Ringed Plovers had arrived whilst the first Snipe were up drumming. 

A small count of Herring gulls headed >NE and Stonechats were back as well as 2 Skylark up singing.

                           Mid afternoon at TMR was sunny but a cool SE>3 and, as usual at this venue, very active. Goldeneye, Tufted and Teal were on the water as well as Goosander, Mallard, Greylag and Canadas whilst Redshank and Oystercatchers were present , very noisy and mobile.

                           Just over 200 big gulls on the water but these soon started to drift away now that the gull roost has broken up. They all headed in the same direction towards the roost at Eccup reservoir. Strangely there were no small gulls present.

                          A flock of around 50 Lapwing were flying around with several nesting in surrounding fields along with Curlew. Still no Wheatear at either of these venues as yet, their arrival being 4 days later than usual so far.

Fly Flatts

4 Ringed Plover

11 Redshank

2 Oystercatchers

4 Snipe

2 Skylark

4 Stonechat

8 Herring gull.....>NE

3 Teal

+ usual sp.

TMR

2 f 1 m Goldeneye

2 m 1 f  Tufted

1 pr Teal

2 Redshank 

2 Oystercatchers

5 f Goosander

c 150 Herring gull

c 70 LBB gull

+ usual sp.

BS