A lively end to the month, passerine day. Fly Flatts

 

                                Juv Dipper, still showing some streaks on belly

                                    1 of 8 Wheatear

                                  2 juv Pied Wagtails

                                    Still in moult.

A bright,clear, sunny start to the morning with full blue sky and sunshine on a light E>1 at a cold 8 degrees. By 0815 hrs the east wind got up slightly bringing in its usual banks of fog which luckily stayed above me before clearing again.

     A very lively morning for small passerines but still awaiting waders and gulls. An overnight fall of Wheatear was apparent with 8 present along the south bank, a couple showing signs of Greenland but all very flighty so nothing proved.

     Meadow Pipits were everywhere along with a good count of Linnet whilst 2 juv Pied Wagtails and an adult Grey Wagtail, but still left hoping for Yellow and White Wags.

    A different Dipper to the usual bird was present, this one being a juv with still some streaking down the breast so probably a bird bred at this site.

     Just 2 Reed Bunting in the compound bushes along with a male Blackbird.

With a light ENE for morning its looking like a possible foggy do on the tops. Also a thunderstorm warning.

BS

      

Fly Flatts. A very active morning but not bird-wise.

 A bright morning after the early fog had lifted with 30% cloud on a NW>3 at 2 degrees.

    On arrival at Fly Flatts the top gate hinges had been cut through with an angle grinder and the gate rammed open leaving it well bent. Down at the boatyard 2 steel containers had been broken into and, as I found out later, some equipment taken.

    After a stack of phone calls and text messages between the Sailing club and Yorkshire Water I waited around the compound for the cavalry to appear.

    Very little birding done other than checking the lagoon area and scoping around the shore from the compound. This produced 10 LBB gulls on the water, which is a bit unusual for this site, plus 1 Dipper, 1 Buzzard, 2 Raven, around 50 Mipits and 1 juv Pied Wagtail.

  Showing bright for morning with a light ENE which could bring me more fog.

BS

Hanging on in at Fly Flatts. Ogden gull check p.m.

 

FLY FLATTS                   Scenic views means lack of birds.  SE corner

                                Islands now well exposed

                                    Everything a wader wants

                                    North end muddy shore

                                    Out on the peninsular

A very foggy wet start to the morning but dried up and cleared by 0800 hrs to leave 80% cloud with some blue sky and sunshine on a light WSW>3 at 12 degrees.

   With the big Ringed Plover move still on, a flock of 74 at Foulridge Reservoir, Skipton, info M.C. , I had high hopes of the overnight fog bringing me some down but not to be. All these birds have to pass over this area at some point as they head south.

     A little bit livelier than yesterdays visit with several Meadow Pipits and Swallows but no waders arrived as yet. A few Black Headed and LBB gulls headed >NE whilst a single Canada goose was on the water and a Raven was on the mast briefly before heading off towards Ovenden Moor.

OGDEN

                                    At least 8 Cormorant present

                                    1 of 3 Common Sandpiper

                                

                        Common Sand investigating Cormorant

                                    Good supply of big gulls

                                    5 Herring present

Ogden p.m. faired a little better with 3 Common Sandpipers present , spotted earlier by NK, with around 40 LBB, 5 Herring,50 Black Headed and 12 Common gull. No Yellow Legged among the big gulls on the west bank and no Med gull among the small gulls on the east bank.

      At least 8 Cormorant were present but all was quiet in the waterside tree. A Buzzard was calling from the NW plantation.

  Another 2 weeks and I'll be watching for Pink Footed Geese over, my earliest sighting being 13th Sept.

A bright morning tomorrow with a light NW. See if the change of wind brings anything new in.

BS

2 zoomed in gull pics for gull under investigation. Ogden yesterday

  

     

Another dabble at Fly Flatts

                                As good as it got, Grey Wagtail
 

Perfect conditions this morning with full cloud and a few low scud clouds moving through. A light S>3 at 14 degrees with heavy showers after 0915 hrs.

    Not much improvement from yesterday with not a bird of any description for over 1 hour then sheer excitement when 3 Canadas landed on the water. Just before packing up time a Grey Wagtail landed on the jetty and the resident Dipper was out on the peninsular, and that was it.

    Plenty Swallows and Black Headed gulls lower down the hill over Wainstalls.

I,d moved venues but with the shore conditions up there, plus the time of year, something is bound to turn up soon.

   Similar weather conditions for morning but a light WSW bart rain.

BS

    

Wild and bird-less. Fly Flatts

 

                                    Islands starting to show.

                                    East peninsular

                                    Wild water

                                    Dark sky

                            Floating jetty partially on shore now

                                    Sun on the Nab

                                    SE corner.

A wild morning at Fly Flatts with a strong to near gale SW>6 gusting 7 with 80% cloud and patches of sun at 14 degrees. Several low scud clouds moving rapidly through low.

    A near, all time record for Fly Flatts with a complete clear out of birds with 2 hours searching turning up just the resident 5 Crow family and 3 Canadas. Amazingly, nothing on the water, in the sky or on the shore. Even the usual resident birds are missing this year with no Lapwing, Golden Plover and Snipe whilst Red Grouse are now extinct up there where, not long back  they were common throughout the year.

   By this time last year the compound bushes were alive with Spotted Flycatcher, Whinchat, Stonechat, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff, with Black Redstarts showing along with double figures of Wheatear, this year, nothing? Even the Meadow Pipits are down to a handful and none today.

    I need a good September up here to revitalize the enthusiasm.

A very light south easterly in the morning which could spell fog and a chance of showers.

BS

   

Bank Holiday Blues. Fly Flatts

 Ideal weather conditions this morning with a low dark cloud-base and early light drizzle on a light SW>4 at 11 degrees.

     With weather and water conditions being perfect I thought I was in with a chance but by 0900hrs I'd walked the south, west and east bank as well as the peninsular and come up with nothing. I think all the birds must have gone away for Bank Holiday with a single Mipit and Wren along with 1 Raven, 5 Crows and 3 Canadas, plus a few Swallows >S. 

  Best of a poor do was a single Curlew over high and >E. Probably near one of the last to go.

   Otherwise the skies were empty as well as the water and shore. Hard to understand what makes these birds tick. 

   A cloudy morning tomorrow with the wind getting up to near gale SSW.

BS

Fly Flatts

 

                                        1 of 5 Wheatear

                                    SE shore looking good

Dried up overflow

Waiting for the waders.

                                    South shore

                                    Outlet to the overflow

                                    Lagoon almost dry but tempting mud.

A lack of the needed cloud this morning with full blue sky and sunshine starting to cloud mid watch.

A lighter but very cold SW>5 gusting 6 at a low 7 degrees.

    The clear skies early morn was an opportunity for a clear out of birds and any wader movement was probably very high up in the blue sky. I went up to the reservoir full of wader enthusiasm but was soon brought back down to earth with not a wader to be found and very little else.

    Up to 5 Wheatear were present but very mobile in the wind whilst half a dozen Meadow Pipits were in the compound bushes. Otherwise, a single Canada goose on the water and a Kestrel was the only bird in the air. Oh well, that's birding, and there's always tomorrow.

     Looking better for morning with heavier cloud and a light sou'wester.

BS