Leeshaw/Leeming/ Wibsey Park/ Horton Bank Top.

 

LEESHAW                    Plenty Greylag geese

                                    Single Pink Footed goose.

                                    Gulls on the far north shore

LEEMING                    A full reservoir

                                    The gantry

                                        Few Herring gulls present.

WIBSEY PARK                Plenty Tufted present

HORTON BANK TOP.    BH gull still in partial summer plumage.

                                Cormorant, rare visitor for here.

                                    Single Herring gull

                                         

Early morn with fog on the tops but clear at Leeshaw with full cloud on a light SW>3 at 6 degrees.

     Hoping to see November out on a high I did the rounds today but nothing out of the ordinary at any site other than a single Pink Footed Goose in with the Greylags at Leeshaw which will probably see the winter out at this site.

   Around 80 Greylags and 12 Canadas were in a distant field whilst around 200 small gulls and 48 Herrings were present but way over on the far NW shore so all checked by scope and out of camera range. Several small squadrons of Starlings were still moving >NW in migration mode.

     Late afternoon, in a last of the month desperate attempt I checked Wibsey Park, only to find it much quieter than usual with only a handful of BH gulls plus the usual good count of Tufted along with the usual duck pond species. No sign of the drake Shoveler which usually winters here annually and no specials after a check through all the Mallards and geese etc.

   On then to Bank Top CP with a few nice species but nothing to get the adrenaline going with 

2 drake Goosander, 2 Mute Swan and a single Cormorant, the latter being a rare visitor to this site though NK reported one at this site on a previous visit.

    Around 40 BH gull along with a single 1 Herring then, once again down to the usual Mallards, Coot, Moorhen .

    Thank goodness November is out of the way after a very poor month, especially up on the tops with both my upland reservoirs providing nothing on the water although Fly Flatts only had 2 visits this year, mainly due to fog.

    Most of the month has been spent at Ogden which started off well in the first couple of weeks with,

Siskin and Redpoll flocks, Shoveler, Wigeon, Teal, 4 Ring Necked Parakeets and an adult Med gull but after that it spiralled rapidly downhill . To make matters worst , the melted snow topped up the reservoir, covering the weeds on the east banking, just as the Chaffinch flock was building up so it looks unlikely for Brambling again this year at this site.

     Just December and January to get rid of now before I start all over again waiting for waders, though the next highlights should be some wildfowl movement, if the weather gets colder, plus trans Pennine Pinks should be showing anytime now, followed by returning Whoopers in the early new year.

     I remarked yesterday how Gt White Egrets were being reported more now around the area, when yesterday MC, on a visit to his old stomping grounds, text me to report one by the river Wharfe near Addingham. It was 18th Oct 2017 when I reported the first for Calderdale, as it flew over Fly Flatts, and 5th May 2003 when I reported the first Little Egret for Calderdale with 2 at EGP. Since then both species have taken of around this area and are becoming more and more a commoner sight. Its a shame its not the same for Cattle Egret which refuse to come into this area.

     A moderate SW and rain for morning.

BS

Ogden/ Harold Park/Park Dam (Low Moor)

 

                                    Sunrise, Queensbury

OGDEN                      Ogden, early morn

                                    Female Goosander back

PARK DAM                        

                                      2 adult Mute Swan with 7 juvs present.

                                    2 Gt Crested Grebe

                                    Several Goosander

HAROLD PARK            Gt White Egret

A pleasant, mild morning at Ogden with the early sunrise soon being clouded over leaving full cloud on a light SE>2 at 5 degrees.

     A livelier morning though nothing outstanding with most of the activity along the west bank today with a tit flock of around 30 birds with the 4 common tit species as well as Goldcrests, Nuthatch and Treecreepers whilst a pair of Bullfinch were on the east bank.

      The female Goosander has reappeared on the water along with around 50 small gulls, 2 Herring and a single LBB.

    With Lynda not wanting to go out this afternoon I took the opportunity to have a quick check on Harold Park and Park Dam at Low Moor after following NKs reports of Gt White Egret, Pochard and Wigeon present on previous days. I,ve been meaning to visit this area but traffic is horrendous early morning when I get out which has always put me off going. This afternoon traffic was quiet so only a 15 minute journey.

    The Gt White Egret was present by the park lake but could only be viewed from distance across the water due to half the park being closed off for repair work. At one point it flew across the water onto the island but was then obscured by trees but a great bird to get which is now starting to get more popular and may, in the future, become as common as Heron. 

   Otherwise, just the usual park lake stuff with plenty Tufted duck, Coot and Moorhen along with several small gulls as well as 8 Herring.

    Across the road at Park Dam, NKs Pochard had moved on but plenty activity for such a small area of water with a pair of adult Mute Swan with 7 juveniles in tow. Several Tufted and Mallard along with Goosanders and 2 Gt Crested Grebe, Little Grebe and a good count of small gulls as well as Herring and LBB. Nice to find an area with such a good quantity of  wildfowl when most sites are dead at the moment. Thanks to NK for the info.

     Looking like plenty cloud about in the morning on a light SW.

BS

Waiting for the wildfowl, Ogden.

 

                                A bright, clear Ogden

                                    Even the gulls were bored.

                                        1 of 5 Coal Tit

A bright crisp morning at Ogden with plenty blue sky and sunshine but very icy at minus 1 degree on a light SE>2. Due to Calderdale gritting cut backs I had to turn round at the top of Ned Hill with sheet ice on the road so had to divert past Keelham on the main road.

     Once again, just a dog walk with very few birds to report other than the usuals. The west bank held nothing, with any birds that could be found being on the east bank. 

   The Chaffinch flock has now dispersed leaving just 3 in the Willows now that their supply of weeds on the banking are underwater with the reservoir level rising rapidly. A small group of 5 Coal Tit were present along with a pair of Bullfinch, all around the Passerine Alley area whilst a Sparrowhawk whistled across the west bank track, no doubt wondering where all the birds were.

      The water held just 18 Black Headed gull whilst the sky above remained empty. Otherwise, just down to the usual expected woodland species plus the Kingfisher, Dipper and Grey Wagtail were down in the sluice gate area.

    A similar forecast for tomorrow with some sunshine on a cold but light SSE.

BS

    

Three birds in two hours, Fly Flatts.

 

                                Fly Flatts early morn.

                                    Lagoon tree

                                    The Nab

                                    'The Bumps' top ot'moor.

A nice bright clear morning at Fly Flatts though icy cold at 1 degree and very frosty. A light NNE>2 with 50% cloud, being bright to the west and low cloud to the east. The overnight fog had cleared by 0600 hrs, just before dawn with some early specs of rain.

     

                                    Buoys on dry land for winter

Nice to be back to the solitude of Fly Flatts on a pleasant morning to be able to leisurely stroll round without having to be on the alert for uncontrolled dogs running about.

   Having said that, I went up there because the conditions were good but went with a very low expectation of any bird life, which was just what I got. After a walk of the south and west bank plus the compound area , along with a lot of sky watching, I came away with 1 Red Grouse, 1 BH gull >NE        1 LBB gull >SW and an over-wintering Meadow Pipit. 

     The skies looked good for Trans Pennine Pink Footed Geese which will be doing their annual 

West to East and visa versa, usually at the beginning of December, but the sky remained empty this morning.

   A bright sunny morning forecast for tomorrow though the light east, turning south east, puts early visibility in jeopardy. One thing for sure, I won't be birding Fly Flatts which is looking like a springtime only site going by this years performance providing only a handful of half decent sightings since the end of August, even though there was tons of shore exposed, yet not a wader all autumn.

BS

Ogden/Foxhill Park.

 

FOXHILL PARK.             1 of 18 Common Gull

                                    1 of 9 Black Headed

                                    Common

Despite the weather forecast predicting a bright, dry morning, Ogden was very dark and wet with early rain showers and black clouds making it very dark walking around the waterside track. Fog was on the hilltops with a light WNW>2 at 3 degrees. 

   The area hit an all time low for birds today with 12 BH gulls on the water along with 3 Commons, whilst the whole circumference of trees produced 3 Chaffinch, several Robins and an overhead Kestrel. But for having the dogs with me, enjoying the walk, I'd have been home by 0830hrs.

      Its coming to something when a mid afternoon dog walk up Foxhill Park produces more birds than Ogden which happened today with Common and Black Headed gulls on the football pitch along with 2 Pied Wagtail and 4 Jackdaw. The bushes along the bottom border produces, 2 Redwing, 4 Blackbird and 5 Chaffinch along with the usual Robins, Wrens, Dunnocks and House Sparrows.

    All I have to do now is try and think of somewhere to go in the morning that has a chance of birds and does'nt have me sat in the morning rush traffic.

     Conflicting forecasts for morning with one showing it dry on a light northerly and the other showing it light rain and fog on a light north east. With past experience I'll believe the rain and fog. Both forecasts predict temperatures down to 1 degree.

BS