Ned Hill Track.

 

  Over the Causeway Foot Col...  Mixenden Res

                                    Towards Thornton Moor

                                    The Withins

                                    Ovenden Moor wind farm

All geared up for Fly Flatts early morn when Pippa jumped off the sofa landing awkwardly and spraining her back. Down to Halifax vets for 0800 hrs and after an examination, painkillers and a £125.00 bill it was back home and just time to check the Ned Hill track in sunshine at 7 degrees but a moderate SW> 5.

  I thought I would be able to get an early Whitethroat in the usual bushes along the track but not to be so turned my attention to watching over the Causeway Foot Col, but just another dead end. 

  By the time I got back to the car I had a grand, last day of the month, total of 3 Woodpigeons, 4 Crows and a Meadow Pipit. This birding job is getting war'n'workin.

   And if matters were'nt bad enough, a very light easterly for morning with a capful of fog.

BS

A dry morning at last, Fly Flatts

 

                                    2 of 5 Ringed Plover

                                    Breeding Pied Wagtails

                                    1 of 4 Common Sandpiper

                                    A touch of shore.

                                        LBBs

                                    Still 6 Oystercatchers present

                                Nolstar field, 11 Golden Plover

A decent morning at Fly Flatts but still that bitter cold wind with a SSW>5 gusting 6 at 4 degrees but feeling colder. Full cloud and dry with good visibility.

       A duplicate of previous days with the same wader species and still no sign of Wheatear, probably due to the exposed, high altitude in the cold wind.

   A few LBB and Herring gulls were on and around the water whilst 3 pair of Greylag now have goslings with 18 young between them.

  A Kestrel was working the west bank but otherwise quiet skies other than the Curlews and Lapwings, mainly over the 'Flat Moor'.

      On the way back, a check of the Nolstar fields produced 11 Golden Plover, which was a pleasing surprise for what is now an uncommon species in this area. Hopefully they will stay and attract some Dotterel this coming month which is the peak time for them, the last found here being 2m and 1f on the 1st and 2nd of May 2017. The only other local I've had was a bird I came across on Soil Hill, 27/4/2008 which luckily stayed a couple of days, much to the pleasure of several local birders.

     I used to make the annual pilgrimage to the 12 Apostles above Dick Hudsons, Ilkley Moor, and Pendle Hill where you always had a 90% chance of seeing them but whether they still appear there or not, I dont know.

   Looking reasonable for tomorrow morning with a moderate SE wind but dry with good visibility. Then its all downhill into May with several days of light east and south east winds bringing several mornings of fog and rain.

BS

A reet good soaking, Fly Flatts

 

                                    Usual Ringed Plovers

                                    and Common Sandpipers

                                    2 of each

An atrociously wet morning at Fly Flatts with heavy rain, sleet and snow throughout on a moderate N>4 at 2 degrees.

   Understandably, in the conditions, there was nothing moving skywards and too wet for scoping with all sightings confined to the compound area apart from 18 Herring gulls on the NW banking.

   The compound held 2 Ringed Plover and 2 Common Sandpiper all feeding together among the boats.

Otherwise it was just down to the usual Mallards, geese, Lapwings, Curlew and Oystercatchers. The area of shore that had appeared over the last 3 dry days will be under water again by the end of the day.

     Looking dry for the morning with a moderate SSW wind and clear visibility.

BS

    

Fly Flatts / Soil Hill.

 

FLY FLATTS                                    8 Oystercatchers present

                                    First Mallard ducklings

                                    Greylags producing well

                                    6 Common Sandpipers

                                    5 Ringed Plover

                                2 Wheatear, Nolstar field

Yet another decent morning, weather wise, at Fly Flatts after a damp and low cloud base start to leave 80% cloud on a cold E>3 at 2 degrees with odd bursts of sunshine.

     Two annual firsts this morning with a Snipe flying out of the dyke and dropping onto the 'Flat Moor.' A rare sighting now at both Fly Flatts and Leeshaw which both sites used to have birds up constantly drumming. The second annual was a distant Short Eared Owl well out over the moor, another rare sighting where I had 5 breeding pairs a few years back.

    Waders were the same as previous days and still awaiting Dunlin whilst 2 pair of Greylag and a Mallard all have young with several more of each species sitting eggs.

    Buzzard, Raven, Herring gull and LBB gull were overhead but very poor for Wheatear this year, so far, as by now I should be over-run with them. Just 2 showing in the Nolstar field along with 2 Oystercatchers.

  Instead of the usual Foxhill dog walk this afternoon I took them up Soil Hill to check out the Ring Ouzel hotspots, which was not one of my best ideas, having to carry the dogs, one under each arm, part of the way over the swampy parts.

   Amazing how the site has changed since my last visit, and certainly since the good old days up there, with trees growing all over the area making it now an almost woodland birding site. A few years from now, though not in my lifetime, the area will be major woodland. The only thing that has'nt changed is the vantage point with spectacular views 360 degrees. Too hazy today to see the main vantage points of  the Humber Bridge, 3 Peaks, North Yorkshires 'white horse', Malham Cove and York Minster. 

    Bird wise, several Skylarks, Mipits and Linnets but little else which was expected at the time of day plus only a small section of the hill was checked as not a dog friendly walking area.

    Not looking good for morning with a strong N then NW wind, rain and poor visibility.

BS

Another clear morning. Fly Flatts.

                                    1 of 4 Common Sandpiper

                                    Laid down on the banking to get these shots

                                   with 2 dogs stood on my back.

                                    All Canon 300mm  f4 L  IS.

                                    Plenty Meadow Pipits

A good run of weather at Fly Flatts with another dry, clear morning on a cold NNE>2 at 2 degrees. Around 80% cloud with short spells of sunshine.

    Just the usual waders to keep me company this morning but all mostly distant at the northern end of the east bank so a morning of scope work. Only 3 Ringed Plover found this morning plus 4 Common Sandpiper and 2 Redshank along with Oystercatchers, Curlew and Lapwing.

    Nothing moving skyward with just a single Herring gull and LBB gull >NE plus a few low and fast Swallows >N. The annual breeding Swallows are now back in situ at their Balkram Edge site.

     On the plus side, the water is receding nicely with the valve open and already showing small areas of muddy shore. If any long and heavy periods of rain stay away over the next week things should be starting to look good.

    Another dry morning tomorrow on a cold 1 degree >NE with hopefully good visibility.

BS