This week has really thrown my system out, first with school holidays stopping off Ogden visits, other than early morning, the road to Leeshaw is closed for 5 days with access going a longer way round and the icing on the cake was as I arrived at Fly Flatts this morning I was told its out of bounds for 8 days with the environment agency up there using a helicopter to transport stone from the bottom of the track across to the west moor where they are repairing a dam in the conduit. Hopefully the noise from the chopper won,t flush the Ringed Plovers.
With no other easy options it was back to Ogden to have a quick look round and away before the crowds arrived. As I left at 0930 hrs they were rolling in like Wakes week at Blackpool.
The west bank was very quiet with just a few Coal Tits and Goldcrests whilst the feeders held 9 Long Tailed Tits and 2 Nuthatch plus the usual species.
No wildfowl on the water other than the Mallards and 2 Canada geese along with around 50 small gull, several on the frozen part of the water, whilst 2 1CY Herrings were out in the middle.
A wander around Mixenden reservoir mid p.m. produced a good count of around 200 small gulls along with 15 Herring but no LBBs. A Cormorant was on the water whilst 2 Buzzard were over the plantation and 2 Barn Owl were seen together at a separate location.
All I have to do now is plan where to go tomorrow?
BS