Wild weather, Fly Flatts.

 

                                    Single Curlew, Withins

                                    Usual Common Sandpipers

                                    Loads of Swifts

A wild and wet morning at Fly Flatts with a moderate to strong WSW>5 gusting>6 with a mix of heavy rain and drizzle showers throughout on full cloud at 9 degrees.

    Back to the winter gear this morning with the cold wind blowing the rain and drizzle horizontally across the water. Despite the rain, the sky was full of Swifts and Swallows all frantically feeding so there were obviously flies up there.

     A poor show otherwise, in the conditions, with the usual Common Sandpipers but no other waders showing today, other than 3 Lapwing. The annual breeding Pied Wagtails have once again raised 3 juvs, all flying and a second brood on the way.

   Just 2 LBB gulls over and a single Buzzard over the moor hovering, despite the wind and rain, but no signs of yesterdays pale Buzzard, which thanks to feedback off the blog from KM, he had, presumably the same pale Buzzard recently over Haworth moor.

      The above photos are just experimental with suddenly the laptop refusing to recognise the camera so the only way I can get any photos onto the blog is to photograph the images from my camera using my mobile phone and then e mail them to myself to get them onto the laptop.

    I love this modern technology where everything is described as super intelligent apart from the person that has to work it. I'd be happy to go back to the days when I started birding when all you took out onto the field was a pair of bins, a notebook and the Observers Book of Birds, which I still have my original 1960 edition. Happy days.

     A cloudy day tomorrow with a lighter sou'westerly and chance of showers.

BS

My type of weather conditions, Fly Flatts.

 

                                    1 of 9 Common Sandpiper

                                    Swarms of Swifts

                                    Just the 2 Oystercatchers

                                    Very pale phase Buzzard

                                    Very distant in the heat shimmer

                                    As white as an Osprey

                                    Greylags nearly full grown now

                                    3 of 9 Common Sandpipers

                                        Sky full of Swifts

                                Common Sandpiper discharging pellet

                                    Something you rarely see

                                Buzzard mobbed with Kestrel.

                                    Whiter than white Buzzard

Back to conditions I know and love at Fly Flatts with a moderate SW>3 gusting 4 with early drizzle and full dark cloud at 11 degrees. By 0915 hrs it developed into broken cloud and some sun.

    The highlight this morning, though somewhat of a distraction, was the sky full of Swifts moving slowly >S on a broad front on three levels, some skimming the water, some at moderate height and others very high and only visible through the bins or scope.

    A very light variant Buzzard was quartering the west moor and being mobbed by a Kestrel and then a second Buzzard. This bird was brilliant white on its underside and a clean white head and could have been mistaken for a distant Osprey.

    Another unusual feature was watching a Common Sandpiper discharge a pellet, something I dont think I,ve seen before. There were 9 Common Sands present including 2 new fledged birds but no sign of Ringed Plover, though more shore is now exposed.

    Otherwise, just a few Swallows and LBB gulls over along with the usual species. Very strange up there now with no sound of the Curlew.

    I was lucky to get back out of the gate at Fly Flatts this morning as I got a photo and text on the Sailing club grapevine with a lorry load of rubble and rubbish tipped against the gate blocking all access at around midday. I've alerted YW and hoping the council shift it this afternoon.

   Looking ok for morning with a strong westerly and  bit of rain but clear visibility.

BS

     

Dodging the fog, Leeshaw.

 

                                   Plenty Swallows 

                                Good move of Oystercatchers >NW

                                Gulls starting to use the north bank

                                2 Ad 3 juv Stonechat

                                Rare visitor for Leeshaw, House Sparrow.

Pleasant conditions at Leeshaw this morning, below the hilltop fog, with full cloud, slightly hazy and damp on a light SE>2 at 12 degrees

      A few promising signs with a steady flow of Oystercatchers over very high >NW totalling 21 and a new arrival of 8 Meadow Pipits. A Common Sandpiper was on the far north shore along with LBB and Black Headed gulls which is a good sign when the gulls start using that shoreline, a good spot for Yellow Legged Herring next month.

    A family of 2 adult Stonechat and 5 juvs were new arrivals whilst a House Sparrow was an unusual sight by the reservoir. Several Linnets were mobile with a good count of House Martin and Swallows but the water remained quiet with just the usual geese plus the long staying female Goosander.

    Curlews were noticeable by their absence with none seen or hear, as was the case at Fly Flatts yesterday. Good areas of exposed shore now showing so looking more hopeful for mid July on, as long as any heavy rain keeps away.

     Leeshaw is on hold now until the weekend with road surfacing going on from the Dog and Gun down into Oxenhope so I'll be keeping clear, its not the best of journeys with narrow roads and parked cars as it is.

     Looking bright and breezy for tomorrow with a moderate sou'westerly and thankfully temperatures dropping slightly with good visibility promised.

BS

Waiting for July. Fly Flatts.

                                    1 pair Oystercatchers present

                                    

                                  Short appearance of Ringed Plover.

A horrid hot start to the morning at Fly Flatts with dead calm, clear blue skies and sunshine at 18 degrees, my worst weather conditions, next to fog. Luckily by 0845 hrs, as I was thinking of aborting, clouds started to appear and a light SE>1 which mostly blanked out the sun and saved the morning.

       At least 6 Common Sandpiper and 1 chick present with one male displaying constantly whilst a Ringed Plover showed itself briefly on the slipway. A pair of Oystercatchers were in the compound along with a single Lapwing but no sight or sound of Curlew today.

     A female Wheatear carrying food dropped down to a nesting area near to where my last breeding pair were feeding young in 2022. The annual breeding Pied Wagtails have reared 3 young again this year all now fledged.

    Otherwise, a single Skylark, 2 Red Legged Partridge and several LBB gulls >SW plus usual species.

With still some east in the light wind tomorrow its showing likely for fog on the tops in the morning and another warm day.

BS

    

 

The heat is on, Leeshaw reservoir.

 

                                House Martins gathering food

                                    Bit of inviting shore

                                Single Herring gull over

                                    1 of 4 juv Pied Wagtails

                                    Single Black Headed gull

                                    3 Oystercatchers present

A hot watch at Leeshaw which started off reasonable with a brisk W>3 which soon turned to a S>2 with full sun and clear blue skies on a temperature of 18 degrees. Luckily, the life threatening heatwave only lasted 2 hour and the rest of the day has been cloudy.

       As expected, the still, hot conditions kept the birds inactive so a steady morning but enough to keep the interest going, just!

     House Martins were busy collecting food for their young and several Swallows were in the air along with a small flock of Linnets. A Chaffinch and Mistle Thrush were unusual at this site at this time of year, but the raptors I was expecting in the conditions never materialized.

     The water held the usual large count of Greylags, with a lesser number of Canadas with all but a few goslings now fledged. A female Goosander was present but waders were poor with just 3 Oystercatchers and a chick, 5 Curlew and the usual Lapwings, most of which are this years birds.

     Gull count was down with 5 LBBs present and a few over >W very high whilst a single Herring and Black Headed flew over the water but did'nt stay.

        Very calm and warm tomorrow with always some east in the breeze but showing visibility as good. One forecast puts a cloudy afternoon whilst another predicts rain from midday so its wait and see.

BS