Wet and windy Ogden

 

                                    3 Heron frogging

A terrible morning with a strong W>5, constant heavy rain throughout at 12 degrees with fog on the tops.

     Once again forced down to Ogden to get out of the wind and below the fog but still got a reet good soaking for little gain.

    A duplicate of yesterdays birds with 1 Herring, 1 Black Headed and 9 LBB gulls along with the 2 drake Tufted on the water. Frogs were very active in the waters edge attracting 3 Herons along the west bank whilst a Blackcap was singing near the well overgrown Dipper Dyke. 

     Hopefully better for tomorrow with a cloudy morning on a light westerly with a low risk of rain starting at 12 degrees.

BS

Ogden.

                                    Very few gulls
 

                                    9 LBB, 3 Herring, 1 Black Headed

A wild and wet morning with near gale force W>6 with heavy showers at 10 degrees and full cloud.

     With Fly Flatts unworkable in the strong wind and Leeshaw out of bounds due to road closure my only option this morning was Ogden which was sheltered from the wind but very showery.

    More of a dog walk than anything with just 2 drake Tufted duck on the water going into eclipse and a few gulls on the west shore with 9 LBB, 3 Herring and a single Black Headed. Ogden is always quiet on the gull scene in the morning with the pre roost gulls not arriving in until early afternoon to preen before moving off to their roost, mainly Fly Flatts and TMR.

     A single Heron was moving around the shoreline but, despite the large amount of shore, not a wader to be found. Plenty juv Robins, Great and Blue Tit and Dunnocks but no warblers heard or seen in the windy conditions.

   Another cloudy wet morning tomorrow with a continuation of the strong WSW wind.

BS

    

Leeming Reservoir but not by choice.

 

                                    Several Willow Warblers

                                    Late brood of Mallard

                                    2m 1f Tufted.

                                    Drake Tufted going into eclipse.

A moderate to strong SW>4 with full cloud and early drizzle at 17 degrees.

    With the strong wind, and being Sunday, windsurfers would be out on the water at Fly Flatts so I headed off to Leeshaw, only to find the road to Oxenhope was closed by Leeming reservoir, so reluctently, Leeming was where I ended up, which is not one of my favourite spots.

      Plenty House Martins nesting in the valve tower with a few Sand Martins over the water whilst just 4 LBB and 1 Black Headed gull were present on the water along with a few Mallard and 2m 1f Tufted duck. Tons of exposed shore at the south end but off lead dogs running around into the waters edge.

    The trees along the track side were full of birds flitting around with several juv Great and Blue Tits as well as Robins. Lots of Willow Warblers and I thought I may get my first Blackcap of the year but soon gave up on that idea. Not my sort of birding, scouring through a ton of leaves for a LBJ. 

    The wind strengthened this afternoon making it unsafe for sailing at Fly Flatts so the sail boat racing was cancelled for the second week running. Good for windsurfers though.

     Cloudy sunshine and possible showers tomorrow on a strong westerly gusting to gale force by midday.

BS

    

    

    

The June lull hits rock bottom. Fly Flatts

Another scorcher at an unhealthy 20 degrees but saved by a pleasant SSE>3 with 40% cloud and sunshine.

      With the breeze making it workable I walked the length of the west bank to check out yesterdays Dunlins etc on the north shore, only to find a clear out of waders with just a single Common Sandpiper showing along with all the juv Pied Wagtails.

    Back at the south end a single Redshank was present briefly along with a newly fledged juv Lapwing.

Nothing in the skies other than 5 LBB gulls and 4 Black Headed >SW plus the usual Curlews and Lapwings. Otherwise very quiet for the summer solstice ( longest day ) and certainly feeling like the longest morning.

    Slightly cooler tomorrow staring off at 14 degrees with a moderate SW increasing as the day goes on with a low chance of  showers, which my garden badly needs and my water butt is getting low.

BS

Fly Flatts.

 A slightly better morning weather-wise with full cloud at 15 degrees but a nice SSE>2 cooling breeze until 0930 hrs when the cloud dispersed leaving blue sky and sunshine, time to leave.

      Another day with the camera gathering cobwebs with all activity way over on the north bank at distance and tons of heat shimmer.

    A good scope from the peninsular along the north shore to the north west corner provided more than expected with 2 ad Redshank + 2 fledged juvs, 3 Dunlin, 4 Common Sandpiper and 2 Oystercatcher, the Dunlin being a nice surprise for this time of year.

     Still at least 4 Curlew present plus about a dozen Lapwing whilst the Short Eared Owl was quartering the distant moor. Nothing in the air other than 3 LBB gulls.

   Summer solstice, (longest day) tomorrow.

More heat for morning starting at 18 degrees with a moderate SSE wind and cloudy sunshine. A thunderstorm warning for later in the day and 27 degrees temp.

BS.

Too hot to handle, Fly Flatts.

 

                                Distant Redshank on a sandbank.

                                        1 of 3 Common Sandpiper

                                    Over 500 Canadas present

                                    2 pr Pied Wag + 7 juvs

A better than expected morning, weather wise, with a light SE>3 keeping it cool from the wall to wall sunshine at 15 degrees.

      A busy enough morning though mostly distant, active, or marred by the heavy heat shimmer making the camera near redundant. 

   A scope from the peninsular produced 3 Redshank, 3 Common Sandpiper and 2 Oystercatchers as well as Lapwing and Curlew, whilst a rough count of geese came up with over 500 Canada and around 150 Greylag but a very low count of goslings, Canadas being down to single figures.

   A heart stopping moment with a tern like bird on the buoy that held a Sandwich Tern back in 2018, but a quick grab of the scope found it to be a Black Headed gull, whilst 4 LBB gull were out on the water.

   Empty skies today with no Swallows or Swifts.

Not looking much better for tomorrow with possibly a touch more cloud on a light SE and starting off at a crippling 18 degrees.

BS

Sticking it out at Fly Flatts and a walk on Ned Hill track.

 

  FLY FLATTS                  2 ad 2 juv Raven

                                    Several Swifts

NED HILL TRACK

A better morning weather wise after overnight rain with a light W>3 at 12 degrees with 70% cloud and some sunshine.

    The Ravens that have bred at Ogden were scouting around the Flat Moor with 2 adults ad 2 juveniles before heading off back in the direction of Ogden. Once again the sky was alive with Swifts plus a few Swallows whilst juv Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails were feeding on the shoreline.

     The earliest pair of juv Oystercatchers has now fledged whilst the 2 bred later to a second pair are sticking to the top field but growing well.

    A Short Eared Owl was out over the moor whilst a scope of the north shore found 1 remaining Redshank and 3 Common Sandpiper. Just a few LBB gulls on the water along with the usual Greylags, Canadas and Mallards.

    An quick afternoon dog walk on Ned Hill track got my first Whitethroat of the year though very briefly along with a few Willow Warblers deep in the heavily leaved trees. Several LBB gulls plus a couple of Herrings over following the tractor that was turning the hay in the lower fields.

    Not my favourite forecast for tomorrow with a near non existent ESE>2 with full sun and a start temp of 12 degrees reaching 24 degrees by the afternoon. Not looking forward to that at all !

BS

      

Glutton for punishment, Fly Flatts.

 Another very windy morning with a strong WSW>6 gusting 7 at 10 degrees with a mix of cloud and sunshine.

      Near un-bird able this morning with the strong wind making it difficult to even hold the bins steady, never mind the camera and scope.

   Its looking like the majority of Redshank have now bred and moved on with just a single Common Sandpiper found as well as yesterdays Ringed Plover, along with the usual Curlew, Lapwing and Oystercatchers.

     The sky was full of Swifts along with a few Swallows whilst a distant Buzzard was high over the moor as well as a Kestrel.

    A lot of activity at Slade and the Flat Moor this morning with lots of people, vehicles and camera crews with still several chicks around ?

     A sunny day tomorrow starting at 12 degrees and, fingers crossed, a light >WNW.

BS

Dark, Damp and windy. Fly Flatts

 

                                    New arrival, Ringed Plover

                                    Pied Wagtails going for a second brood

                                    4 Oystercatchers new in.

A very dark, full cloud and damp morning with a moderate WSW>5 increasing 6 at 9 degrees.

     A quiet start to the morning but got livelier by mid watch when a Ringed Plover arrived onto the south shore and shortly followed by 4 noisy Oystercatchers making 8 Oystercatchers plus 4 chicks present. Just 3 Common Sandpiper and 3 Redshank along with Curlews and Lapwings.

     The 2 Pair of breeding Pied Wagtails have around 8 juvs between them which are now feeding themselves whilst one of the pair seems to be going for a second brood with a lot of displaying going on.

    A few LBB gulls over the water but otherwise, empty skies, other than Swallows and Swifts.

Next expected visitor to the water has to be Common Scoter.

    A cloudy sunshine morning tomorrow at 12 degrees and yet again, a strong WSW wind.

BS

      

Blowing a gale, Fly Flatts

 

                                    Plenty white Greylags

                                    Still a few Curlew around

                                   Watch the wind at Fly Flatts

                                    Another one bites the dust

                                    Rescue boat kept busy

                                    Needs a stronger mast

                                    Game over.

A powerful W>6 gusting 7 this morning put paid to the birding and the sailing with cloudy sunshine at 10 degrees. All sailing cancelled.

     Once again the near gale force wind cleared the site of birds with just 23 LBB gulls briefly in the NW corner before dropping down the valley. A blustery walk the length of the west bank produced 3 Common Sandpipers and 3 Oystercatchers with nothing on the northern muddy shore.

   A few Lapwing and Curlew were in the more sheltered fields whilst the Canadas and Greylags kept mainly to the eastern fields in the long grass.

    Cloudy sunshine forecast for tomorrow starting at 13 degrees but still a moderate westerly.

BS