One of those better mornings, Fly Flatts.

 

                               1 Ringed Plover still awaiting its mate

                                    5 Whoopers at the very north of the water

                                    2 of 4 Oystercatchers

                                    Pied Wagtail in moult

                                Pinks >WNW x 120

                                

A beautiful morning to be up on the tops with full clear skies and sunshine on a SW>4 at 8 degrees.

    First sighting this morning was 5 Whooper Swans way over in the far NW corner of the water where they stayed throughout and still there as I left at 1000 hrs.

    As I was scoping the swans 2 Sand Martin flew just over the top of them skimming the water as they left >SW down the Calder valley. If I had not been scoping the swans at the time they would have gone through un-noticed. These were 3 weeks earlier than any of my previous records though others have been reported around the area.

    The Ringed Plover was showing well this morning and one of the pair of Oystercatchers was copulating. Just 3 Curlew and a few Lapwing with no Redshank back at this site as yet but imminent.

    At  0940 hrs, the familiar sound of Pink Footed Geese, contact calls, was heard and looked up to find them immediately overhead with a single skein of 120 high and >WNW. I was unable to get the full skein in as I had a Canon 400m fixed lens on which I have just purchased as the Canon 70-200mm I was using was nowhere near good enough for reservoir work. The 400mm coupled to my Canon 7d mk2 1.6 crop factor camera brings it up to 640mm.                                                                                              A good finish to a splendid morning and good to see DJS up on the top road and speak via phone as he scoped in all this mornings goodies.

   All good thing come to an end and tomorrow the light SSE wind is back threatening rain and fog but starting off at 8 degrees so at least it will be warm water coming down.

BS

Overwhelmed with birds, Leeshaw Reservoir./ Whoopers at Mixenden.

 

                                    4 Pink Footed Geese present

                                    18 Oystercatchers

                                        Amazing number of geese

                                    2 Pinkies

                                        3 of 4 Pinkies

                                    High count of gulls

                                    Pinkie with Canadas

                                    1st Redshank back

                                    Redshank with Pinkie.

A bright clear morning but a bitter cold SW>5 gusting 6 at 2 degrees with 80% cloud.

     Absolutely overwhelming with birds this morning with the highest count of Canada and Greylag geese yet along with a water full of gulls. At one point, when all the geese came onto the water from he fields, along with the gulls, it was standing room only.

    Oystercatchers are up to a count of 18 now and the first Redshank has arrived, right on time, making it one week later than 2024 but one week earlier than 2023.

    Lapwings are now protecting territory in the fields but only 2 Curlew present as yet. A Little Owl was in its usual position and large flocks of Starlings were very active in the wind.

LEESHAW

4 Pink Footed Geese

c 200 Canada

c 250 Greylag

10 Mallard

18 Oystercatcher

c 50 Lapwing

2 Curlew

c 80 Herring gull

6 LBB gull

c 80 Common gull

c 200 BH gull

1 Redshank

1 Little Owl

+usual sp.

After a call from DJS and shortly after another from a Mixenden resident reporting Whoopers on Mixenden reservoir I bobbed down there late afternoon to check them out. A mix of 12 adult and juvs were luckily within camera range with the sun in the right position, behind me, to get some photos as I peered through the gate. At one point they started head bobbing  and became noisy, as if they were ready to go, but then settled down again, some sleeping. 

     Oddly a Greylag goose was in with the group looking quite settled with then, the swans just accepting it.

     A good spot for JJL who sighted them from a very distant Soil Hill late morning and put the word out. Thanks to DJS for the text along with the Mixenden dog walker for letting me know.

   Yet another decent sunny morning tomorrow with a lighter SW and kicking off at 6 degrees.

                                12 Whoopers, 1 Greylag

                                Wonder if it will follow them to Greenland

                                Greylag and mates.

BS

 

Another dabble at Fly Flatts

 

FLY FLATTS            1 pair Stonechat present    

                                    Usual 4 Oystercatchers

                                Greylags appearing for breeding

                                Red Kite over ' The Bumps'

                                    Bird of the morning.

OGDEN                        Several Herring gull

                                    Mainly 1CY

                                    Intermedius LBB.

Getting spoilt with the weather at Fly Flatts with yet another dry clear morning on a moderate, cool 

WSW>4 at 2 degrees with cloudy sunshine and some fog patches well to the west of me.

     No sign of the Ringed Plover but I'm sure it will still be present and waiting for its mate to turn up which should be due any day now. Still 4 Oystercatchers but only 1 Curlew today as well as 12 Lapwing.

    A pair of Stonechat were in the top field along with a few Red Grouse whilst 8 Greylag geese had joined the, now 100 plus, Canadas. Greylags are only usually found at this site over the breeding season.

    Undoubtedly, the bird of the morning was a Red Kite which appeared from the SW Calder valley flying N> at distance following the western ridge before turning east to fly over ' The Bumps' and disappearing over the eastern ridge. 

   A spare hour this afternoon so a quick gull check at Ogden in time to catch the pre roost birds coming in. A count of 18 Herring were on the water, these all but 3 being 1CY birds, along with 3 LBB adults, one of which was a real bruiser of a gull up to the other 2 and very black mantled, so much so that I thought it was a GBB until I zoomed a photo in to show a bright yellow eye putting it down to being an Intermedius LBB gull. Around 50 small gull were also present but still looking out for an Iceland.

      It looks as if its going to be a winter bart Siskin and Redpoll at this site with, once again, a west bank void of bird life, other than a single Blue Tit. A group of 12 Canadas were on the water.

    Another day of the same tomorrow with cloudy sunshine but a bit more blowy with a moderate WSW again, starting off at 1 degree.

 BS.