September kicks off at last, Fly Flatts.

 

                                    5 Wheatear present

                                Star turn, Cream Crown Marsh Harrier.

                                    Mobbed by crow.

                                        LBBs on the shore

                                Several LBBs heading >SE

                                    Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs arriving

                                        Juv Stonechat

                                    Good arrival of passerines.

                                    Willow Warbler

Another misty start to the morning with a low cloud base and poor visibility slowly lifting to give full low cloud on a light WSW>3 decreasing 2 with light rain showers at 14 degrees.

    A good start off to the morning as I was tackling up with, what I thought was a Buzzard appearing through the mist, being mobbed by a Crow. I grabbed the camera and got some hazy shots as it headed >S over the Flat Moor whilst thinking it was unusual for a Buzzard so early and in a different area to the usual resident Buzzards. What a shock to look at the photos to reveal a Cream Crown Marsh Harrier. Good job I did'nt dismiss it as a Buzzard.

   A walk along the west bank revealed very little other than 18 LBB, 3 Herring and 6 Black Headed gulls on the shore and nothing on the water though it was evident that there was a migration move on with LBB gulls heading >SE as well as Mipits moving >S along with swarms of Mipits blogging and some ground-hopping all around the shores, also a few Swallows >S.

     On seeing this it was a dash back to the compound to check the bushes for migrants which paid dividends with Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Reed Bunting, Wren, Stonechat and Wheatear in the bushes and around the fencing. At last a taste of September.

    Looking decent for tomorrow with cloudy sunshine on a light WSW at 10 degrees with chance of an odd shower.

Vis Mig.

1 CC Marsh Harrier......................>S

38 LBB.........................................>SE

42 Meadow Pipits........................>S

11 Swallow..................................>S

Present

3 Herring gull

18 LBB gull

6 BH gull

c150 Meadow Pipit

2 Chiffchaff

4 Willow Warbler

7 Stonechat

5 Wheatear

9 Reed Bunting

30 Goldfinch

1 Grey Wagtail

4 Wren

1 Kestrel

BS

   

Out in the mist and rain, Fly Flatts

 

                                    As clear as it got

                                    Wind turbines in the fog

                                   Migrant hotspot, but not today.

                                    SE corner

True to form with the forecast of wet, windy and poor visibility the overnight fog cleared as I arrived leaving misty but dry conditions on a SE>3 at 11 degrees. By 0915 hrs the fog started drifting in along with heavy rain,

    Luckily I managed a walk half way on the west bank and was able to scope the shoreline before the weather closed in.

  The first signs of vis mig this morning with Mipits and and Reed Buntings heading >S along with a few Swallow whilst a good number of Mipits were blogging along the shore and in the fields.

  Just 7 LBB and 4 Black Headed gulls on the north shore with nothing on the water. Otherwise, just a single Kestrel, 2 Wheatear and a Grey Wagtail along with 2 Red Grouse, the latter being a rarity at Fly Flatts now whereas it was over-run with them a few years back.

    Cloud and showers for morning on a light SW at 11 degrees. Chance of thunderstorms after midday.

BS

Steady away, Fly Flatts

 

                                Little use for the camera, 2 CY Herring gull.

Contrary to todays forecast of a bright morning then cloud and rain midday on the weather was reversed with a bright afternoon but this morning started off misty with drizzle clearing to a very low cloud-base

on a cool SW>3 at 11 degrees.

     The birding was as dull as the weather this morning, with a good gull count being the highlight, with 42 LBB, 5 Black Headed and 2 Herring gull on the north bank along with 2 Wheatear, a juv Kestrel and 1 juv Peregrine. 

    Just a juv Tufted on the water and several Meadow Pipits around the edges. On the way back the usual farm and field checks just produced the pictured Herring gull.

    Checking back through 5 years of records for September waders at Fly Flatts I had only 1 Common Sandpiper and 1 Dunlin, telling me that the wader season at this site is probably over this year so I will have to turn my attention to passage migrants turning up in the compound and lagoon area as well as watching for wildfowl, with Pink Footed Goose movement only a good week away, usually around the 12th, as well as duck species visiting the water.

    September at this site has always been good for Spotted Flycatcher, Grasshopper Warbler, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff , Willow Warbler and Ring Ouzel, as well as Black Redstart, though the latter gave me a miss last year. A matter now of patiently waiting to see what comes my way.

     Also visible migration time is upon us although Fly Flatts is a poor flight path with being at the wrong side of the eastern ridge and, with things to sort in a morning before I leave, by the time I get up there for 0745 hrs I just get the tail end of it, apart from the extra busy moving mornings which stretch on until 1000 hrs. 

    Having said that, the forecast for morning is very wet and windy on a south easterly with poor visibility, possibly brightening after midday.

BS

    

Not the best of starts to September, Fly Flatts.

 

                                            1 of 3 Wheatear

                                    3 Red Legged Partridge

                                    North inlet

                                        NE corner

                                        Tons of mud

                                    East shore

                                    A major job scoping it all

                                    Floating jetty high and dry, usually waist deep here.

                                    SE corner to S shore.

Terrible conditions this morning with a strong SSW>5 increasing to near gale 7 on the west bank. Full dark cloud and light rain showers at 12 degrees.

    The wind was not too bad to start with but by the time I had got to the north end of the west bank it had increased to near gale force making it difficult to scope the shore but it was plain that there were no waders present. Very few gulls this morning with just 4 LBB. 1 juv Herring and 12 Black Headed. 

    A single Tufted on the water as well as 4 Canadas whilst 2 Grey Wagtail and 3 Wheatear were the only ground birds as well as 3 Red Legged Partridge. Empty skies other than a single Kestrel and the 2 resident Crows.

   The Withins Head farm area and Nolstar fields were void of birds in the strong wind. A single Common gull was in Foxhill park this afternoon, a species that is making a slow return this year.

    Looking good for morning with cloudy sunshine on a light SSW at 11 degrees then a chance of showers midday on.

BS

 

Leeming reservoir

 

                                    Plenty gulls around

                                    Loads of Red Admirals

                                    Alive with Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers

                                    Majority Chiffchaffs.

                                    Several Goldfinch

                                    Gt Spotted Woodpecker, juv.

A bright but very windy morning with a near gale SW>6 with full sun at 12 degrees.

    Far too windy for Fly Flatts to be productive plus, being Sunday, the wind would bring out the windsurfers so off to Leeshaw. As I got near Oxenhope the road was closed, once again so a turn around and had to settle for Leeming reservoir.

    Tons of shore here but not a wader of any description after a full check around the waters edge. Several Black Headed, Herring and Lesser Black Backed gulls were spread around the waters edge but no Common gulls present.

    The water held several Mallard, a single Tufted and 2 Cormorants whilst the skies remained empty.

Thinking it was going to be a wasted morning I walked further on the track to find the trees, hedges and brambles were alive with small passerines flitting about in the foliage so the rest of my time was spent checking through the warblers thinking I may find a Spotted Flycatcher or Redstart but not to be.

    The numbers were so great it looked like it had been an overnight fall with the majority being Chiffchaffs as well as several Willow Warblers, Long Tailed, Great and Blue Tits, Goldfinch and Chaffinch, as well as Robins, Dunnocks and a juvenile Gt Spotted Woodpecker.

     Luckily. this display of passerines saved the morning even though this is not my usual sort of birding.

    Tomorrow showing cloudy sunshine with rain showers on a strong S turning SW at 12 degrees.

BS