Leeshaw Reservoir/ Dog and Gun field.

 

LEESHAW                    Single Pink Footed Goose

                                    Plenty gulls around the fields

                                    16 Oystercatcher present

                                    Less shore exposed now.

  DOG and GUN fields  Very few gulls this morning.                                                                                        

Another bright sunny morning with fog hanging in the valleys but clear blue skies on the tops. A cold start at 1 degree with a thick ground frost on a light W>2.

    The outstanding feature this morning at Leeshaw was, after 2 months to the day, the long staying Red Necked Grebe has gone. Possibly moved to Lower Laithe or Ponden and may return but I expect, more than likely, it has headed off East to its summer breeding grounds, time will tell.

     The big goose field was getting a good coating of foul smelling manure which was bringing the gulls in as I left but looking right into the sun so no chance of scanning them. Several other fields held gulls but mostly very distant.

     Still awaiting some winter wildfowl but Wigeon, Goldeneye, Teal and Pintail seem in very short supply this year. A group of 16 Oystercatchers were mobile along with 3 Curlew and around 60 Lapwing, several guarding territory in the fields.

    Plenty Greylag and Canada as usual but only about 30 Herring gulls showed up on the water. Plenty of the usual species but nothing else of note.

     The Dog and Gun field on the way home just held 2 Herring plus around 50 small gulls.

Cloudy sunshine for morning, depending where the fog ends up, on a light westerly again, starting off at 1 degree. Hopefully March is a better month when things should be starting to happen.

BS

    

    

     

Fly Flatts. Permit only.

 

FLY FLATTS                1 of 12 Lapwing

                                    Canada numbers building

                                   

                                    Distant Ringed Plover

                                        1 of 5 Oystercatcher

NOLSTAR FIELDS          12 Common gull present

                                    as well as 10 Black Headed.

A glorious morning on the tops with wall to wall clear blue sky and sunshine. A cold NW>4 at 1 degree but counteracted with the warmth from the sun.

     With such a clear bright morning the temptation was too much so up to Fly Flatts. A slippery drive up there, with Nab Water Lane to Oxenhope, beyond the reservoir, was closed due to ice.

     A bit more action than my last visit my nice to get up there in the solitude, walking the moor.

 A flock of 12 Lapwing were settling on the Flat Moor, which hopefully will encourage some Golden Plover, a rare species up there this last 18 months.

    Canada numbers were up to 53 with more on the moor getting ready to breed whilst 15 Fieldfare flew over, landing in the field at Slade. Wader wise, 5 Oystercatchers and a single Ringed Plover, the latter still keeping well at distance on the east bank.

    Just 1 of each, Raven, Stonechat and Pied Wagtail plus a Kestrel over the Nab, otherwise the usual species but birds returning slow, though still no Curlew settled here yet. As expected at this site, just 4 Common and 8 Black Headed over.

    A Golden Plover check around the Nolstar fields failed to turn any up with just 12 Common and 10 Black Headed gull plus 9 Rook, 6 Skylark , 2 Stock Dove and 5 Canadas.

     Another decent day tomorrow with slightly more cloud on a light westerly but still starting off at 1 degree.

BS

Leeshaw/ Leeming/ Dog and Gun/ Old Guy Road.

 

LEESHAW                    14 Oystercatchers present

                                    Red Necked Grebe

                                    Mixture of gulls

                                        Herring gulls on the tower

DOG AND GULL FIELD            Few Herrings

                                    Common, LBB and Black Headed

                                    Herring

                                    Common and Herring

OLD GUY RD CRICKET PITCH.     1st Skylarks back.

A better morning than expected with early rain clearing to showers on a light WSW>4 at 3 degrees. 90% cloud and an odd flash of hazy sunshine.

    The full crew of geese were present this morning with c 200 Canada, c140 Greylag, inc 3 white geese and a single Pink Footed. Around 100 Starling and 80 Lapwing were moving around the fields along with 14 Oystercatchers and 5 Curlew. The water held 10 Mallard, 1 Red Necked Grebe and a Cormorant as well as around 10 Black Headed, 12 Common, 5 LBB and 65 Herring gull but could'nt get anything special out of them, with hopes of the Iceland which is around the area.

   Leeming was once again poor on gulls with just 12 Herring, 2 LBB, 40 Black Headed and 5 Common plus the usual Species.

   The Dog and Gun field had a few gulls present at last but a low count with 5 Herring,2 LBB, 15 Black Headed and 9 Common.

  A check for returning Skylarks on the Old Guy road cricket pitch at Queensbury proved a good move with 2 returners.

    A day of full sun forecast for tomorrow on a light NW starting off at 1 degree.

BS

Lower Laithe/ Leeshaw/ Leeming/ Dog and Gun field.

 

LEESHAW                14 Oystercatchers present

                                    1 of 7 Curlew

                                        Single Little Owl

                                    Red Necked Grebe still presen

                                    Herrings on the water

                                    Good count of Lapwings

2 of 3 LBB gull                                                                          

As per forecast, a day of sunshine and showers though only amounting to drizzle at Leeshaw on a colder WSW>4 at 4 degrees with 80% cloud cover and hints on sunshine.

    Much quieter gull wise with 42 Herring, 30 Common, 3 LBB and around 150 Black Headed and no sign of a Great Black Backed yet this winter. Strangely, Caspian and Med gulls are now out-numbering GBBs over the winter period. 

     Nothing new on the water with Red Necked Grebe, Mallard, Greylag and Canada goose with 14 Oystercatcher and c 80 Lapwing moving around the fields and waters edge. Just 7 distant Curlew all in the goose field along with a single Little Owl. Several squadrons of Starling were heading >SW making it look like autumn vis mig.

     Lower Laithe held 18 Herring gull plus small gulls along with 1 Oystercatcher and 2 Curlew whilst a Cormorant was on the tower. The Gt Crested Grebe is still present, now in almost full summer plumage.

     Leeming was a real disappointment gull wise with just 12 Black Headed and 2 Common and only 5 Canada geese and 8 Mallard on the water.

    The Dog and Gun field did'nt frame much better with 3 Herring, 22 Black Headed and 12 Common along with a single Curlew, 2 Stock Dove and 2 Fieldfare plus the usual Jackdaws etc.

    Looking grim for morning with rain and snow at 2 degrees on a moderate WSW.

BS