A lovely morning at Ogden with bright cloudless skies on a light NW>3 at minus 4 degrees
but feeling milder as the sun got up. Some heavy mist in the valleys.
With expectations of the flooded roads to Oxenhope being very icy I took the safer option of Ogden which was surprisingly pleasant for a change with very few people present and no mad dogs flying around off the lead. Just pleasant to saunter around without ducking and diving all the time.
On arrival, first light, I was having a word with warden Chris by the info centre when a Buzzard came straight over our heads, which I nearly missed, and had to swing around and snap it as it left.
Around 80 Black Headed gulls were very active, diving into the water from height like Terns, I,m not sure if this is a feeding process or part of pruning.
Just 7 Herring gulls present along with 9 Commons, the Herrings leaving very early. Hundreds of gulls were overhead coming from a roost to the SW, possibly Manchester or Huddersfield and all heading >NE probably to their favourite fields.
Still no sign of winter wildfowl on the water though the water will be too deep now to hold any passing Wigeon as they need shallow water to feed. I can,t think of an excuse for no Goldeneye, especially at Mixenden which has always been a hot-spot for them.
The west bank was reasonably quiet with just the usual Tits and a few Goldcrest but good to get 2 Nuthatch on the info centre feeders which were very aggressive towards other birds.
Possibly a few snow showers overnight but another bright but breezy day tomorrow depending where the massive fog bank to the west ends up.
BS