End of a bad month

 Well today I paid for 2 previous spring like mornings above the fog with a full day of dense fog up here on the tops and all birding abandoned. November has been a poor month both weather wise and bird wise with very little to get excited about. I,ve had 5 days fogged off with no birding and visited 4 venues throughout the month, Fly Flatts, Ogden, Mixenden and Doe Park, with the absence of Leeshaw which is usually one of my main winter venues but due to road closures and a long detour round I,ve had to give it a miss to press.

                Mixenden was bottom of the chart remaining quiet throughout the month and other than a few gulls on the water and a Buzzard overhead it failed to produce. Not even the annual Goldeneye have shown yet but pinning my hopes on the star December bird I got last year when a red head Smew turned up with the Goosanders.

               Doe Park and the surrounding gull fields have,nt rewarded me as yet with very few gulls and nothing on the water although I did get a good display of passerines there with several Bull and Greenfinch plus winter thrushes etc.

               Ogden produced Goldeneye, Teal and Goosander on the water with some half decent counts of gulls whilst the 80+ flock of winter Chaffinch produced several continentals and one brief view of a female Brambling. Siskin and Redpoll were in the Alders along with the usual Tit flock containing Nuthatch, Treecreeper and Goldcrest. 

              This month my patch at Fly Flatts has been very difficult and hit and miss trying to turn something up but has had its moments. Several skeins of trans Pennine Pink Footed geese have crossed over both east and west though several has passed well to the south and north of me. Wigeon and Goosander have over flown me as well as Golden Plover and Cormorant whilst there was always small passerines in the compound with Meadow Pipit, Reed Bunting, Wren and Stonechat.

             Raven are a daily sighting as well as raptors with sometimes 3 Peregrines together along with Sparrowhawk, Kestrel and Buzzard whilst a Red Kite flew over the east ridge.

          The highlight of the month, raptor wise, was watching a distant Buzzard sp. which I,m putting as 90% sure it was Rough Legged Buzzard as it headed south over Tatty Pie Hill being mobbed by a much smaller Common Buzzard. This sighting coincided with birds appearing on the east coast a few days later.

I had it brought to my attention about the pale phase Common Buzzard around the area which I have seen and checked photographs and this was definitely not the bird I saw.

        Nothing showing on the water other than a few gulls plus the surprise visit of  a good count of Canadas along with a single Greylag and Barnacle. These were the Cold Edge geese but unusual for them to visit Fly Flatts this time of year.

         December tomorrow and still in the poor weather forecast but it can,t be worst than November,can it? Target birds for December being :- Snow Bunting, Shorelark, Waxwing, Pintail, Smew, Diver sp. and Crossbill plus any white winged gulls of course.

These are all possibles without being over ambitious.

BS

             

Out in the sunshine, Fly Flatts

                                    Fog down in the Calder valley

                              Fog creeping up to Fly Flatts by 0945 hrs.

                                        Single Lapwing over >N

                                   Few BH gull on water

                                Calm water below the Nab

                                  Stoodley Pike peering through the fog

                                    Canada Geese blasting off

                                Single Greylag

                                  Unusual to get Canadas this time of year at Fly Flatts

                                    Single Barnacle

Another glorious morning, once again above the fog, with clear blue skies and sunshine on a very light 

N>1 at 3 degrees with heavy frost and ice. By 0945 hrs the fog started creeping up from the valleys but managed a full watch before the visibility started to go.

                A surprise on arrival to find around 280 Canadas on the water as well as a single Greylag and Barnacle which all blasted off by 0830 hrs and headed back towards Cold Edge. Very rare to get this number of Canadas here after August post breeding with usually just 2 or 3 occasionally over the winter.

             A few Black Headed gulls were on the water as well as 14 Mallard whilst 2 Stonechat were in the compound.

             Skies were quiet other than 3 Mistle Thrush >NE plus a single Lapwing >N. Again the sky looked perfect for Pinks but understandably nothing moving as possibly held down by the fog.

             A cloudy forecast for tomorrow on a light >SE so all dependent on where the fog lies.

BS

 

Up above the clouds. Fly Flatts/Ogden.

 

FLY FLATTS            The Nab in all its glory

                                   A glorious morning to be up on the moors

                                    Crow enjoying the seed

OGDEN                    Mostly small gulls present

                                    Calm water

                                    Plenty Black Headed

                                    Several Coal Tits

                                    plus the usual Robins

                                Black Headed, Blue 2R 49 returned again.

                                    Common in winter plumage

Luckily for us hill dwellers we were way above the clouds today with dense fog below, especially to the east where the fog was covering the Aire Valley throughout the day.

           Fly Flatts was spring like with a light SW>2 at 4 degrees with clear blue skies and sunshine other than a bank of fog along the western ridge.

             Despite the excellent conditions birds were once again at a minimum with just 2 Stonechat,

2 Crows on the seed and 3 Red Grouse whilst the only birds in the air were 8 Fieldfare >N.

The skies looked perfect for Geese but not to be.

           A mid afternoon visit to Ogden was an improvement on my mornings birding with around 150 small gulls present as well as 1 ad LBB, 3 ad Herring and a 2cy Herring. The Black Headed gull with blue ring 2R 49 that I had regular over June and July this year was again present on the gantry. I think this is a bird from the Cumbrian BH gull survey at Killington reservoir but will have to double check  through my notes.

          Passerines were in short supply with very few Chaffinch and Tits etc plus no sign of Siskin or Redpoll though they all may have been in the sun on the east bank which I never ventured onto.

        As I arrived home at 1500 hrs the fog piled in and is now as thick as pig muck and looking like it is here to stay judging by tomorrows forecast of a very calm easterly which continues for the rest of the week. There is ice and possibly snow forecast over the next few days but Queensbury gritters are out tonight so no chance of that as the gritters only turn out in decent,mild weather.

       It could be a case of man the paint brush tomorrow !

BS

Glutton for punishment, Fly Flatts.

 

                                  5 Meadow Pipits present

                                    Kestrel watching over the seeded area

Another of those muggy November mornings with dark clouds, a low cloud base and heavy mist over the western ridge. A light SW>3 was bringing in the drizzle at 6 degrees.

          With very limited clear patches in the sky and nothing on the water it was a morning of small passerine watching on the deck with ,as always, the hopes of a Snow or Lap Bunt otherwise a Shorelark would do nicely.

             After I,d finished dreaming I had to make do with 5 Meadow Pipits, 3 Wrens, 4 Reed Buntings and a single male Blackbird. A Kestrel was on the compound fence waiting for something to come to the seed whilst a Sparrowhawk glided past but showed no interest to the area.

          With the law of averages I must be due a decent bird any time now but the weather at this time of year needs to be cold and icy instead of the mild temperatures bringing in the cloud.

BS

High tide at Fly Flatts

 

                 Always best to park in a sheltered spot at Fly Flatts.

                                 Another one bites the dust.

                             The only bit of bright sky, SE over Slade

                   Mid morn, a bright strip south over the Flat Moor.

                                Still 3 Meadow Pipits hanging on.

A very dark cloudy morning at Fly Flatts on a moderate SSW>4 inc S>6 bringing 'white horses' across the water and whistling through the boat masts. Slightly milder at 6 degrees but keeping full cloud cover other than a bright strip of sky well to the south. Light frizzle throughout.

               The morning kicked off with 2 Grey Partridges near the compound which was unusual for up there as mostly I only get Red Legged. The usual 3 Mipits were still present as well as 2 Stonechat whilst 18 Mallard were on the water.

                 A Skylark was briefly on the seed,which may over-winter here with 2 Mistle Thrush near the feeding area before heading off over the moor.

No shore now with water up to the overflow but none needed now until the end of February.

                 Very little in the air today with just 1 Raven, 2 Kestrel, 6 Redwing >W  and a few BH gulls.

Looking like a ton of fog for next week with a full week of very calm winds and turning east from Tuesday.

BS

Another clear morn at Fly Flatts/ Chaffinch check at Ogden.

 

                Fly Flatts at daybreak, grazing sheep.

                        Last touch of shore. SE corner

                    Fully floating jetty now.

Another pleasant morning to be up on the tops with a light SW>3 at 5 degrees and 80% cloud with good visibility.

              The November depression is still hanging on up there, as every year, and just the usual suspects showing with the usual Buzzard, Kestrel, Stonechat and Canadas with the addition of 71 Starling in migration mode >NW, probably heading for the Blackpool pier winter roost whilst a flock of 87 Woodpigs headed >SW. These being either late movers from further north or a local roost breaking up.

             A mid afternoon study of the winter Chaffinch flock at Ogden found around 70% of the males being of the Scandinavian continental race 'coelebs' rather than the British race 'gengleri '. These continental males show very pale pink underparts with a faint white V shape marking on the belly plus the mantle is plain brown. The easiest way to distinguish these are by checking through the flock where the difference of the two races stand out. The female continentals are indistinguishable on the field.

           Several of the Chaffinch are now feeding in the Beech trees giving a greater chance of Bramblings joining them.

        Looking like some wet and windy weather from the south tomorrow.

BS 

No fog today at Fly Flatts

 

                    Single hybrid Mallard on the water

                                    1 Greylag over >N

                                    2 Canadas leaving the water

A decent morning at Fly Flatts with 90% cloud but high with good visibility on a S>3 at 4 degrees.

         Although I thought the conditions looked ideal the morning was much quieter than I would have expected.

              A single small skein of 15 Pinks headed >W but far to the south of me whilst a group of 15 Starling headed >NE. A single Greylag flew low over the water but continued >N and 2 Canadas that were on the water left for Cold Edge. Nothing else on the water other than a large hybrid Mallard which I have seen in the past at Ogden.

             Otherwise, just 2 Stonechat, 1 Kestrel, 1 Sparrowhawk and a Raven.

Looking good weather wise for tomorrow morning so far.

BS

Fogged off a.m./ Ogden p.m.

 

                                  A good supply of Chaffinch

                                    Bramblings due anytime !

                                          Drizzle on its way

                                Kingfisher in its usual spot

                                Pied Wagtail in the duck corner 

Torrential rain and dense fog stopped play this morning but a brighter mid afternoon at Ogden with just an odd drizzle shower.

                                   Only a small Tit flock today and no sign of the Siskin/Redpoll flock so spent most of the time scouring through the Chaffinch flock of around 60+ which were showing better today ground feeding in the banking weeds. No Brambling as yet but must be imminent with a flock this size though searching through them was difficult with constant public disturbance keep flushing them back into the trees.

                  A pair of Teal were still present way over in the NE corner whilst 4 Herring, 1 LBB and around 40 small gulls were on the water. The Kingfisher and a Dipper were down in the sluice gate and a single Pied Wagtail in the duck feeding area.

                 This has got to have been the foggiest wettest November on record.

Chances of a fine but windy morning tomorrow then a wet afternoon.

BS