A bit of joy at Ogden,

 

                                    6 Tufted duck on the water

                                    Usual Black Headed gulls

                            Trans Pennine Pink Footed Geese

                                    77 moving west to east.

The overnight fog partially cleared first light leaving some patches of fog and otherwise dark and misty on a light E>2 at a mild 7 degrees.

     From the prom at Ogden I picked out 6 small ducks in the water at the far north end but could only pick out one white and 5 dark birds in the mist. A quick dash on the west bank, thinking Goldeneye, exposed them as 6 Tufted, 3ducks, 3 drakes, which was at least a start to get something on the water.

    As I dashed on the west bank a small flock of 12 Redpoll flew from the same Alder tree that I saw them in last week but disappeared behind the Lodge house, not to be re-located.

    Several Tits about and at least 4 Goldcrest whilst a noisy Raven was in the plantation. Just a few Black Headed gulls on the water as well as the return of the female Goosander.

   As I was walking back through the car park, scanning the tree tops, a skein of 77 Pink Footed Geese were to the north of me heading west which were only picked up by chance in the background of the trees. These Trans Pennine skeins are bang on schedule as the geese swop from east to west and visa versa before starting to head off back to their breeding grounds.

     Another cloudy, misty day tomorrow with a slightly stronger easterly at 6 degrees.

BS

    

Winter Solstice in the fog. Ogden.

 The dense overnight fog miraculously cleared at 0730hrs but returned with the daylight at 0815 hrs and stayed thick over Queensbury all day.

     Ogden was misty with drizzle but clear enough to check the water which just held around 30 Common and Black Headed gulls as well as 3 Lesser Black Backed.

    Other than that it was just a dog walk along the west and north bank with not a bird in sight and just the usual Tits on the feeders.

   With the light wind sticking from the east the next few days, tomorrow looks about as good as today with fog forecast throughout. At least a corner has been turned now and another couple of weeks should start showing more daylight so I can get back to earlier starts.

BS

Ogden, still trying.

 

                                    Single Nuthatch

                                    Coal Tit

                                    Long Tailed Tits

                                    Black Headed gulls on the gantry.

                                    Highlight wildfowl this month, 1 Canada goose.

A bright sunny morning with dense fog stuck down in the Aire Valley due to a low temperature of  3 degrees on a light SSE>2. By 1015 hrs the fog was heading up the valley towards Queensbury and then dense fog by 1230hrs.

      All the bird activity this morning was around the feeders with a single Nuthatch and the 4 common Tit species although it had the sound of spring with a noisy Canada goose on the water and a Mistle Thrush singing its head off in the plantation.

    The west bank waterside trees were once again void of bird life with just a quick sighting of 15 Siskin high over the tree canopy, disappearing into the plantation.

    Other than the Canada goose there were around 60 mixed Black Headed and Common gulls on the water but no Herring or LBB. I've yet to have a sighting of a Great Black Backed gull this year which seems like yet another species to have deserted this area.

     Showing a day of fog for tomorrow, courtesy of a light easterly at 5 degrees.

BS

Slogging away at Ogden

 

                                        2 Herring gull present

                                    Low count of Black Headed gull

A morning of sunshine and showers at Ogden with a cold SW>4 at 6 degrees.

      Another case of empty waterside trees this morning other than 2 Treecreepers and a few Blue Tits, whilst a Dipper and Kingfisher were down in the sluice gate area.

   The 2 Goosanders from yesterday had left the water with just 2 Herring and 16 Black Headed gulls present plus a rising number of  Mallard.  Roll on springtime.

     Cloudy sunshine for tomorrow on a light SE with a good chance of fog at 3 degrees.

BS

     

One of those quiet visits, Ogden

 

                                    Now 2 Goosander present

                                2 Kingfisher skimming across the water.

A very dull dark morning with full cloud cover on a light SW>2 at 7 degrees, remaining dry.

    Birds were non existent along the west bank as warden CS just bet me to it by riding along on his quad bike so no sign of Redpoll, Siskin or Bullfinch, whilst the north and east bank trees were void of any bird life also.

    A second Goosander had joined the long stayer with both birds diving for fish alongside each other and being harassed by Black Headed gulls, of which there was around 30 present along with 1 LBB gull. Otherwise nothing else, though I did managed to finish before the rain came.

   Chance of a wet start in the morning but drying out as the day goes on and possibly some sunshine on a strong SW at 7 degrees.

BS

Target bird at last, Ogden

 

                                        Short lived sunrise.

                                    Target bird, 9 Redpoll

                                    4 Bullfinch present

                                        Poor pics in the early morn half light.

A very dark, damp morning at Ogden with a blustery SW>4 but sheltered in the trees. Light rain throughout with full dark cloud cover at 5 degrees.

     After a lot of weeks searching I finally came across a nice little group of 9 Lesser Redpoll in one of the Alder trees along with 4 Siskin, which were more hidden in a thicker Alder tree. The Redpolls shared their tree with 3 female and 1 male Bullfinch and a few Coal Tits.

      Very quiet on the water with 8 Black Headed and 2 LBB gull whilst a Kingfisher flew over the water from east to west.

   Next target birds now has to be winter wildfowl though the weather is nothing near cold enough at the moment to move birds around. A Firecrest would be nice but, going on the low count of Goldcrest so far this winter, chances are slim.

     Tomorrow showing as a dry but cloudy morning turning wet after midday on a light SW at 7 degrees.

BS

All about gulls, Ogden.

 

                                    Good count of Herring gulls

                                    Several Common gull

                                    as well as Black Headed

A dry morning at Ogden but still poor light with full cloud at 4 degrees on a light NW>2.

    The waterside trees along the west and north banks were completely void of bird life this morning with no sign of  Siskin or Bullfinch with just a couple of Robins showing and several Crows. The Crows are now spoiling the west bank Alders due to the new craze of Crow feeding where several people are now bringing food for the Crows and spreading it along the west bank, encouraging Crows in, which in turn clears the area of small passerines.

    Gulls saved the morning with a decent count of 21 Herring, 4LBB and 18 Common gulls as well as around 40 Black Headed, all carefully checked for Mediterranean's. 

    A flock of around 12 Long Tailed Tits were moving around the car park area, even though most of their favourite trees have been cut down along the car park entrance.

  Another couple of weeks and the first trans Pennine Pink Footed Geese should be coming over.

   Back to rain tomorrow on a strong SW at 4 degrees.

BS