A lively Ogden and a quiet Littlemoor park.

 

                                        Single Cormorant

                                    2 pair Goosanders.

                                    1 of 5 Herring gulls present

                                        1 of 3 Nuthatch

                                    1 of 6 Treecreeper

                                        At least 4 Goldcrest

                                You can just see the bright orange crest of

                                a displaying male Goldcrest.

                                    Thought I had a Firecrest first view.

                                        2 noisy Ravens over.

Another foggy morning on the tops so a visit to Ogden with a misty start then full cloud on a light SW>3 at 4 degrees.

     A lively morning was a pleasant change with a Cormorant on the water along with 2 pair of Goosander and the usual Mallards.

    The west bank did me proud with a small Tit flock, with Great, Blue and Coal along with 6 Treecreeper, 3 Nuthatch and at least 4 Goldcrest, one of which gave me a heart stopping moment when I got a flash of its bright orange crest. The next 15 minutes was trying to get a decent view of it as it worked its way up and down the banking in the hedge of Christmas trees. At last, a brief half decent view but enough to expose it as a displaying male Goldcrest, oh well, dream on. It didn't help matters with it being in exactly the same place as the 2013 Firecrest.

     Not many gulls present with a few small gulls and 5 Herring along with 2 noisy Raven flying over, which I nearly missed with being in the trees.

   Mid afternoon and a quick dog walk in Littlemoor Park in hopes of  Brambling but a very quiet do with just Chaffinch, Bullfinch and Treecreeper, along the the expected woodland species. Even the nearby garden of DS was void of birds which is unusual.

   A wild and wet day forecast for tomorrow with rain developing mid morn on a moderate to strong sou'wester at a steamy 7 degrees,

BS

     

Leeshaw/Lower Laithe/ Leeming reservoirs.

 

LEESHAW                Red Necked Grebe avoiding the gulls

                                        Good count of Herring gull

LEEMING                 53 Herring gull present

                                    Single Grey Wagtail.

Another decent morning with 50% cloud and sunshine on an icy cold SW>4 at 3 degrees.

    Leeshaw was alive with gulls ,both on the water and in the surrounding fields with around 300 Black Headed, c100 Common and a good count of around 50 Herring gull. The Black Headed gulls were continuously harassing the Red Necked Grebe every time it dived and came up with a small fish, though it didn't seem to bother it.

     Around 150 Greylag and c 60 Canadas were in the big field along with the single Pink Footed goose as well as 24 Lapwing.

    A pair of Teal were skulking in the reeds at the edge of the water whilst a female Goosander and 2 Cormorant were also present. Otherwise it was down to the usuals and no returning Oystercatcher or Curlew as yet.

     Nothing much doing in the Sladen Valley at Lower Laithe reservoir with a pair of Tufted on the water along with 12 Mallard and 8 Canadas. A lower count of gulls here with c 50 Black Headed, 10 Common and 8 Herring.

    A stop off at Leeming on the way home found another impressive count of Herring gull with 53 on the water as well as 15 Common and around 100 Black Headed.

   Nothing on the water here other than the usual Mallards plus a Grey Wagtail in the outlet.

Looking decent for the morning , if the overnight fog clears in time, with a light SW and cloudy sunshine at 4 degrees.

BS

Back to a bird-less Fly Flatts

 

                                    The spotted Greylag is mated up.

                                    Meadow Pipits creeping back.

A cloudy morning with reasonable visibility but hazy distant viewing on a cold S>3 at 3 degrees.

    A new month but nothing new at Fly Flatts bird-wise with a very quiet morning. Just 2 Canadas and 2 Greylag on the water along with 34 Mallard that came up from upper Dean Head.

  A few Meadow Pipits are arriving back with 6 present whilst 2 Raven and 5 Crows were overhead. Otherwise the sky was empty with not a single gull recorded although an open landfill site at the rear of the re-cycling centre at  Balkram Edge is attracting good numbers of gulls though poor viewing of the area.

  As I was leaving Fly Flatts at 1000 hrs a call came through from my personal Pinkie watch at Shelf Moor with PT reporting a skein of Pinks heading my way. Scanning from the top gate I picked up the skein very distant to my East, beyond Soil Hill heading >WNW, but soon disappeared into the haze, not to be seen again. I guessed at 100 + but later saw that DB had clocked them with a count of c150 from Soil Hill so I take it that this will be the same skein. Thanks yet again Peter.

      Still waiting for Curlew and Oystercatcher, plus Ringed Plover arrived at Fly Flatts last year on the 

7th Feb but this was about 2 weeks earlier than normal.

   A similar forecast for morning with cloudy sunshine on a light SSW at 3 degrees.

BS

    

A foggy start, Leeshaw Reservoir

 

                                    Pink Footed in with Greylags

                                    Big goose field

                                        Gulls on the gantry

                                        Herrings

                                    Two Cormorant present

                                    Herrings

                                    Gulls mobbing Red Necked Grebe

                                    Geese now pairing up

                                    Herrings

                               This Canada has'nt seen a Red Necked Grebe before.

Dense fog on the tops as promised but a gamble on Leeshaw paid off with a misty start then clearing to part cloud and even a bit of sun trying to get through. A very light W>1 at 4 degrees.

    Plenty to see but much lower numbers of geese and gulls than yesterday. The Red Necked Grebe was showing throughout the watch but keeping distant across on the water and spending most of its time sleeping. A steady trail of birders came through this morning to see the bird and all were rewarded with a sighting, though not showing at its best as it was yesterday. 

      The Pink Footed goose was in with the Greylags but geese were down to 63 Greylag and 78 Canada with the rest probably taken to the Upper Marsh fields.

      Around 200 Black Headed, 30 Common and 12 Herring were present so still awaiting GBB and Iceland. Just 2 Lapwing on the shore whilst Curlew and Oystercatcher are running late this year.

     Otherwise down to the usual species with Fieldfare and Redwing noticeable by their absence this year at this site.

    A cloudy morning tomorrow on a light southerly but not showing fog as yet.

BS

      

     

     

Leeshaw.. Its back, Red Necked Grebe.

 

                                    Returned to Leeshaw after a month.

Another glorious morning to be up on the tops with 100% blue sky and full sun on a cold W>3 at 0 degrees.

    An unbelievable number of birds at Leeshaw today making me wonder why so many birds here compared to the very few at Fly Flatts yesterday.

     The reason I couldn't  locate the Red Necked Grebe at Lower Laithe a couple of days ago was because it has returned to Leeshaw, near enough 1 month from its first arrival here.

    Another bonus this morning was a female Gadwall which nearly slipped through the net for a hybrid Mallard until I got the scope on it revealing its grey head, dark bill with orange stripes down the sides and a well mottled plumage with white inner wing feathers. I had a male at this site in Nov 2023 but a rare sighing for this area. 

     A male goosander was on the water with 3 Cormorant and several gulls whilst surrounding fields were inundated with geese and gulls.

   Wind from the east tomorrow means back to the cloud with a ton of mist and fog. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted.

LEESHAW

1 Red Necked Grebe

1 f Gadwall

1 m Goosander

3 Cormorant

1 PF Goose

c 300 Greylag

c 200 Canada

12 Mallard

14 Lapwing

c 300 BH gull

c 50 Common gull

28 Herring gull

1 LBB gull

plus usual sp.

BS