Nil visibility, Fly Flatts.

 

                        Work of art, the web, not the photo!

                                The Lagoon. This mornings fog.

                            South bank

                            SW corner

                                The overflow

                                    SE corner

                            A touch of shore.

                                Floating jetty

                                The compound

                            Sun failing to break through, as good as it got.

Clear as far as Wainstalls this morning and then ran into dense fog up on the tops.

Fly Flatts was unworkable with very limited visibility only being able to see 30 yds out onto the water and no sky vision. The sun tried to break through but failed with dead calm wind conditions that did,nt help in a temperature of 13 degrees.

       A few Mipits in the bushes but otherwise not a bird sighted so just a one hour dog walk then, with no sign of improvement, it was up stumps and head for home where Queensbury had glorious sunshine.

      Thank goodness August is over but a dread of what the fog is going to be like mid September and October, when fog is expected, if August is anything to go by.

     Some shore showing now so if it remains reasonably dry I could get enough exposed to tempt down a wader or two plus September is the time to start watching for Pink Footed Geese heading east or west for the winter. My earliest skein sighted in September was the 14th.

A light easterly and rain forecast for tomorrow so I,m not getting excited about the morning with more fog expected.

BS

Mixed Fog, Showers and Sun. Fly Flatts

 

                                Another wave of Wheatear .

                                Wheatear and Mipit.

Another foggy start which quickly cleared leaving heavy rain showers and the usual drizzle with some breaks of sunshine on a W>3 turning NW>4 at 12 degrees.

       A fresh wave of Wheatear had arrived overnight all sticking to the SW corner and Robin Rocks.

Usually movement with Swallow, House Martin and Linnet whilst Lesser Black Backed gulls moved >NE. Nothing in the bushes today other than Meadow Pipits.

Vis Mig :-

12 Wheatear..............Blogging

5 Linnet....................>W

34 Swallows.............>S

2 House Martin........>S

16 LBB gull.............>NE

sev Mipits...............Blogging

BS

More fog, Fly Flatts.

 

                       Single Cormorant through >S in the mist.

Yet another foggy, misty morn at Fly Flatts with heavy drizzle then rain on a light WSW>3 at 11 degrees. 

           A very poor mornings watch with visibility over the water at times but very limited vision above with a very low cloud base.

     A single Cormorant >S was unusual for up there this species with the water being very acidic with the peat and void of any fish. Otherwise there were just Swallows moving >S skimming low over the water.

      A heart stopping moment when a bird briefly flipped out of the compound tree at distance making me think Redstart. This would have been a first for Fly Flatts and my first seen for 7 years, though admittedly I don,t go looking for them. 

    After 15 minutes watching the tree and just getting sightings of the bird in the thick leaves a Robin finally showed itself which was a mega disappointment seeing that it was a Robin but then I started thinking is there a Redstart and Robin in there .Another 15 minutes watching and finally had to settle for a Robin. The ups and downs of birding.

     A single Sand Martin motored through in migration mode whilst 2 Raven were over the Nab.

BS

     

A steadier morning at Fly Flatts.

 Nice to be up on the tops this morning with just 20% cloud and sunshine with good visibility on a NW>4 at 11 degrees.

        Birds were hard to count this morning with Meadow Pipits and Swallows moving but very hard to see in the bright sky. Swallows were moving at two levels with some skimming the water and moor whilst others were very high up and not visible to the naked eye.

       A small skein of grey geese came over >SE which I failed to i.d. as they were very high and distant and I only got them arse on. Probably just Greylags but I,ll never know. 

      The migrant bush dwellers had taken advantage of the clear sky and moved on overnight leaving just a few Mipits blogging whilst a single Buzzard and 2 Kestrel were in the sky.

Present

Canada geese

Greylag geese

Mallard

2 Kestrel

1 Buzzard.

Vis Mig

98 Swallow..........>S

33 Swallow..........>NW

47 Mipits.............>S

26 Linnet............>S

5 unid Grey geese >SE

BS

Raptors and Swallows, Fly Flatts.

 

                                Buzzards on the move

Fog then mist on the tops again this morning clearing by 0815 to leave full cloud on a cool W>3 at 10 degrees.

            No migrants in the bushes this morning other than Mipits and a single Wheatear after an overnight clear out. As soon as the mist lifted Swallows were piling through >S on a broad front making my count well below the amount going through with several below the skyline skimming the moor.

         By 0930 hrs I was thinking it was all over when 2 local Buzzards were up over the moor, then, to my surprise, 6 birds that I thought were gulls came in from the north, turning out to be Buzzards.

        After soaring and interacting over the moor they started to head off >W but then turned and all disappeared >SE. Immediately after that another 2 arrived doing the same, followed by another 2 and then a single, all heading off >SE. 

      Kestrels were also moving in the same direction over the turbines with a 4 then 2 and lastly a single. After that all was quiet, but quite a morning.

Present :-

2 Buzzard

2 Kestrel

3 Mallard

usual Geese

Vis Mig

Sev blogging Mipits

18 Mipit...............>S

9 Buzzard............>SE

7 Kestrel.............>SE

4 Mistle Thrush..>W

178 Swallow.......>S

1 Wheatear......blogging.

BS

Vis Mig kicking off. Fly Flatts.

 

                                Mipits both moving and blogging

                                An unusual count of Wrens

                                    Big gulls on the move

                                    Well into moult

Another misty start but soon clearing to a decent visibility on a W>3 at a cool 10 degrees but remaining full cloud.

         A taste of vis mig this morning as the mist lifted with several birds both moving and blogging.

The compound bushes produced several Mipits, Wrens, Whitethroat, Whinchat and Wheatear but all very mobile darting around in the bushes just giving short sharp views.

     Overhead a group of Mipits headed >S closely followed by a very tight small group of Siskins, the first I,ve had this season.

    Swallows were moving in reverse migration all low and >NW whilst 3 Cormorant went in the same direction. A good move of big gulls was apparent with Herrings and LBBs moving >SW very vocal and high up in the mist.

   All the small passarines present tempted a Sparrowhawk to fly through but headed towards the Flat Moor without causing any damage.

   Quite an interesting watch and the first real signs of  sky movement other than hirundines.

Its amazing to see how plumages differ on the Mipits with light and dark brown, olive green etc and a variety of patterns with different age birds and birds from different regions.

Present

Canada geese

Greylag geese

3 Mallard

1 Sparrowhawk.

Vis Mig

1 m ad Whinchat + 1 juv

2 Whitethroat

8 Wren

1 Wheatear

sev Mipits

32 Mipits...................>S

12 Siskin...................>S

3 Cormorant.............>NW

26 Swallow..............>NW

c 70 LBB gull.........>SW

c 12 Herring gull....>SW

BS

Working around the fog banks, Fly Flatts.

 

                            Fog rolling through like smoke.

                                Shore slowly appearing

Once again a very foggy start at Fly Flatts which cleared to mist by 0845 hrs with occasional banks rolling across the water like smoke. Low cloud and drizzle throughout on a SW>3 at 11 degrees.

        Even though the weather was much the same as yesterday the birding was much quieter with no passerines skulking in the 2 trees or bushes. A bit of movement was apparent though poor visibility restricted and serious watching so much of the time was spent checking around the shoreline and

'bush bashing', not literally. 

     A Jay, high and >E, was interesting for this early in the season whilst a flock of Lapwing headed >SW. No continuation of yesterdays gull move with just 2 Herring over.

     A 10 minute watch from Withins Head, just in case the unlikely event of the Marsh Harrier had hung around, only produced a few Mipits and Linnets.

Present :-

1 Kestrel

Canada Geese

1  Raven

Vis Mig :-

2 Herring gull..............>NE

15 Lapwing.................>SW

1 Jay............................>E

7 Linnet.......................>S

18 Swallow.................>S

1 House Martin..........>S

BS.

     

The worse the weather, the better the birds. Fly Flatts.

 

                    The compound tree that attracts migrants.

                            The slipway, water slowly dropping.

A terrible start to the morning with fog banks rolling through with very heavy drizzle on a W>3 at 14 degrees. 

       By 0900 hrs the fog had cleared over the water with mist over the moor and the rain easing.

Swallows immediately started piling through very low skimming the top fields whilst a low count of Linnet, Gulls and Snipe were on the move.

      A very wet walk the length of the west bank produced a single Common Sandpiper briefly before it headed across to the east bank, showing again later in the watch on the east bank cobbles but well to the north end. Several Common Sands are moving through at the moment.

     Just 3 Willow Warblers in the compound tree today and no sign of Wheatears until the next wave comes through.

    As I was locking up at the boatyard a text from DJS of a Cream Crown Marsh Harrier heading from Slaughter Gap towards Cold Edge Dams so a quick dash to the Withins Head watch-point which gives a view over the dams and way out across the moor.

   After a few minutes scanning I located the bird very low over the moor just to the north of Haigh Cote Dam but it then disappeared behind a ridge. After a few minutes it reappeared passing Slade just beyond the Flat Moor but by the time I got the camera onto the area it disappeared into the mist heading >NW not to be seen again.

    Thats the second Marshy this year at Fly Flatts on very near the same flight path. The last one was 29/4/2023 and last year one passed on the2/9/2022.  DJS also got an Osprey over Slaughter Gap after I had left. Thanks for the shout Dave.

Vis Mig

1 Common Sandpiper

3 Willow Warblers

2 Snipe...........................>W

12 BH Gull....................>SE

4 Common Gull............>SE

5 LBB gull....................>NE

117 Swallow.................>SW

8 Linnet........................>W

1 CC Marsh Harrier.....>NW

Sev Mipits blogging.

All vis Mig reports are entered on Trektellen, see link.

BS

Checking out the passerines, Fly Flatts.

 

                                5 Willow Warblers present

                    Few gulls at Balkram Edge.

With road closures at Mixenden I had to take a detour to Fly Flatts where it was misty and fog banks over the moor with a low cloud base and a mix of rain and drizzle throughout at 11 degrees.

       Small passerines kept me entertained this morning, after checking around the banking for waders, with a good overnight fall into the single compound tree.

       The birds were very hard to pin down, and even harder to get any photos, with them skulking  around in the thick leaves and vegetation keeping out of the rain but briefly showing when catching flies.

    Linnets and Swallows moving through below the cloud base whilst several Meadow Pipits were ground-hopping through.

     Gulls are starting to appear on the Balkram Edge football field but only Black Headed  and one Common so far.

Vis Mig

19 Swallow...............>S

12 Linnet..................>SW

Sev Mipits, present and ground-hopping

3 LBB gull.................>NE

1 Whitethroat

5 Willow Warbler

2 Chiffchaff

1 Spotted Flycatcher

3 Wren

2 Robin

BS

Blast from the past for Ogden.

 

            Little Grebe, once common at Ogden

A cloudy early morn at Ogden with a light SW>4 at 14 degrees.

              The road through Mixenden was once again closed, just 2 weeks after it was re-opened so rather than a 5 mile detour I reluctently headed for Ogden before the crowds arrived.

         Only real bird of interest was a Little Grebe on the water diving continuously at the north end.

Little Grebe, or Dabchick as they were always known, was a common winter visitor to Ogden but the last sighting I had here was 2 on the 2/9/2016. The last group here of 7 birds was 29/9/2013. Hopefully this is the start of a return to this site.

       Cormorants were on the move with 5 on the water and 3 very high and >NE along with Swallows and House Martins >SW. Just 3 LBB gulls on the water and a 1CY LBB on the east bank looking like a candidate for bird flu. Otherwise just the usual Canadas and Mallards plus Dipper and Grey Wagtail in the sluice gate area.

      Very hard to bird at the moment with all the hedges vastly overgrown giving very few vantage points to view the water.

Present :-

3 Canada Geese

Mallards

3 LBB gull

Vis Mig  :-

1 Little Grebe

5 Cormorant on water

3 Cormorant........>NE

6 Swallow...........>SW

3 House Martin...>SW

2 Mistle Thrush..>W

BS 

     

       

Steady away day, Fly Flatts.

 

                            Drake Tufted in eclipse.

      Tried in vane to make it into Scaup or Ring-Necked!

                                Single Wheatear present

A foggy start to the morning with a thick low bank of cloud moving over but cleared by 0830 hrs leaving broken cloud and some sunshine on a moderate SW>4-5 at 13 degrees.

       The water was very rough so a small black job out in the middle caused some concern at first thinking Scoter. With the scope up on legs and wobbling in the wind I got it as drake Tufted but showing no tuft and being in eclipse, plus me being ever optimistic, I thought there,s a slim chance of either Ring-Necked or Scaup but further investigation soon shot me down, dream on Bri.

      No sign of yesterdays Cuckoo plus all but one Wheatear had gone through but 5 Willow Warblers and 2 Wren were in the compound tree.

     Swallows were moving >SW fast and low into the wind in migration mode but Swifts have moved off early this year, my last sighting being 20th July to press. Just 2 House Martins over as well as Alba Wagtails whilst 2 Buzzard were distant over the moor.

   Going by Pennys report from the Shetlands vis mig sounds to have kicked off so hopefully things will be heading our way.

Present :-

1 m Tufted duck

2 Kestrel

2 Buzzard

2 Wren

+ usual sp.

Vis Mig

1 Wheatear

5 Willow Warblers

37 Swallow...........>SW

2 House Martin.....>SW

5 Alba Wagtail......>W

Sev Mipits..........blogging

BS.