Leeshaw below the fog

 

                                    Yesterday evenings sky.

                                    Leeshaw, Lesser Black Backed

                                    Black Headed mobbing Cormorant

                                            LBB

                                    Few Common present

                                        Busy corner

Once more, as expected, dense fog on the tops so back to Leeshaw were visibility was moderate with heavy drizzle showers throughout on a moderate SW>4 gusting 5 at 10 degrees.

    Very little in the way of vis mig in the poor conditions but gulls were very lively moving around the fields, water and shoreline though nothing special could be picked out.

      Mipits and Swallows were moving into the wind as well as House Martin and Lapwing whilst my first Mistle Thrushes headed >W.

    Wheatear are very scarce at this site so 4 together were a surprise but very flighty before disappearing onto the south bank and out of sight. Otherwise just the usual species making another none eventful watch but one of these mornings !!!!

     A conflict of weather reports for morning with one forecasting a very calm easterly with fog and another station forecasting a light NW and sunshine with good visibility so its a wait and see, though unfortunately both show easterlies for the next 7 days which may be good for east coast twitchers but not for inland upland birders faced with 7 mornings of fog.

VIS MIG

62 Mipits.........................>SW

38 Swallows...................>SW

4 House Martin..............>SW

16 Lapwing...................>SW

3 Mistle Thrush............>W

PRESENT

1 Heron

1 Little Owl

48 LBB gull

130 Black Headed gull

6 Common gull

8 Herring gull

4 Wheatear

1 Cormorant

15 Goldfinch

+ usual sp.

BS

    

Leeshaw Reservoir

 

                                    Gulls on the north shore

                                    All distant viewing with scope

                                Gull in water looked interesting

                              Herring type. Too distant and heat haze for useable shots.

Fog on the tops this morning so back to Leeshaw which was bright with 60% cloud and sun on a light SW>3 increasing and clouding over as the watch went on with a temp of 9 degrees.

      A rush of birds in migration mode first thing but this move had dried up by 0830 hrs. Meadow Pipits and Swallows came through in good numbers all low and >SW along with 2 House Martin.

    A good morning for gulls with decent numbers on the north shore but none actually moving through. Cormorant and Lapwing were also on the shore whilst a group of  Goldfinch were on the thistle tops and a Kestrel in the air.

  Trektellen.  A touch of nostalgia.... Good to see Mark Doveston and Simon Johnson back vis migging on their old stomping ground at Denholme Clough where they first started in the late eighties/ early nineties. Myself, Howard Creber and Dave Barker were watching from Windy Corner, Thornton Moor at the time and kept in constant contact with each other and several other areas to alert varies teams what was on the move. Sadly vis migging has all but gone in this area now and most of the local watch-points stand empty, so good to see a new spark of life at Denholme. 

    Cloudy and wet for morning on a light sou'westerly, sounds like more fog on the tops.

NOTE... The road from Keelham traffic lights to Keighley Halifax Road along the Shay below Soil Hill is to close on Monday for at least 2 months for repairs to the culvert. Looks like Ned Hill and Bradshaw will be extra busy.

VIS MIG

94 Swallows.................>SW

103 Meadow Pipit.......>SW

2 House Martin...........>SW

PRESENT

1 Kestrel

12 Lapwing

4 Cormorant

c 30 Goldfinch

2 Common Gull

5 Herring gull

c 150 Black Headed gull

70 LBB gull

+ usual sp.

BS

Fly Flatts a.m./ Ogden p.m.

 

FLY FLATTS                                Raven

                                        Dipper

                                    Plenty Mipits

                                        Single Pied Wagtail

OGDEN                                East bank

                                        1 pr Goosander

                                        Suspect RH bird, male in eclipse.

                                        West Bank

                                    East Bank, Yellow Legged Herring gull.

A pleasant morning to be up on the tops with the first ground frost of the autumn with a light W>3 at 5 degrees and 50% cloud with sunshine.

    A good start to the morning when I was putting my boots on in the shed when I heard Pinks overhead and just got out in time to see a skein of around 40 just disappearing east over the house top heading towards the village and mill.

    Up at the reservoir the grass was white with an overnight ground frost but did,nt feel too cold with the light wind and some sun.

    Plenty going on again with good signs of the sky livening up for autumn movement with Swallows and Mipits being the main movers whilst LBB gulls headed SW as well as Lapwing along with 2 Skylark high and >S.

     No waders as yet with just Mipits, Pied Wagtail and Dipper on the shore whilst 2 Raven were overhead.

     A quick gull check at Ogden p.m. found a pair of Goosander on the water, a noisy cronking Raven over very high and heading towards Fly Flatts whilst a Buzzard was very noisy in the plantation.

    Gull wise, around 80 mixed Black  Headed and Common gull, c35 LBBs and 5 Herring whilst a Yellow Legged Herring gull stood out with bright yellow legs, light coloured mantle and the red spot seen to go onto the upper mandible though with heat haze and ruffled feathers on the head I was unable to make out the orbital ring.

     Another decent morning promised for tomorrow  with part cloudy skies and a light sou'westerly.

FLY FLATTS VIS MIG

c 40 Pink Footed Goose.........1 skein over Queensbury

21 LBB.......................>SW

2 Black Headed..........>SW

2 Skylark...................>S

14 Swallow...............>S ..........21>NW

7 Lapwing................>SW

PRESENT

2 Raven

Sev Mipits

1 Dipper

Canadas

1 Pied Wagtail

4 Wren

BS

A lively Fly Flatts, Visible Migration kicking off.

 

                                Pink Footed Geese, 1 of 2 skeins.

                        If this does,nt bring waders nothing will.

                                Lagoon waiting for Green Sandpiper

                                Pair of Tufted present

                                    Blogging Goldfinch

                                    Goldfinch on the move, high >S

A better morning at Fly Flatts with a bright sunny start but soon clouding over with an icy cold NW>3 at 5 degrees.

    Birds were much livelier today a good start of  2 skeins of Pink Footed Geese over just to the south of me very high and >E. A single Greylag went over soon afterwards mega high >SW and only picked out in the scope.

   A good supply of small passerines on the move with Wagtails, Goldfinch, Mipits and Linnets whilst Swallows were heading >NW. Also in the air was a single Buzzard, 2 Kestrel and a Raven whilst a pair of Tufted were on the water, possibly NKs pair from Ogden yesterday.

    A bright morning forecast for tomorrow on a light WNW after an overnight frost anda temp down to 3 degrees at 0700 hrs. The winter gear was already worn this morning, even the dogs had their coats on.

VIS MIG

Pink Footed Goose..............134,  2 skeins, 71 and 63......>E

1 Greylag....................>SW

15 Swallow................>NW

104 Mipits.................>SW

4 Alba Wagtails........>W

17 Linnets................>SE

85 Goldfinch...........>S

PRESENT

23 Goldfinch.......Blogging or locals

Sev Mipits.... Some ground hopping

1 Raven

1 Buzzard

2 Kestrel

1 pr Tufted duck

8 Canadas.

BS.