Fly Flatts, return of the Wheatears.

 

                                    Redshank and Oystercatcher, west bank

                                    1 of 3 Wheatear, 2m 1f

                                        2 of 4 Oyks

                                        East bank

                                Peninsular now showing, Redshank in the water.

                                Breeding pair of Pied Wags returned.

A lovely calm, mild morning at Fly Flatts with a very light WNW>1 at 7 degrees with full bright cloud.

Water level dropping well with several areas of shore exposed as well as the east bank peninsular.

      A return of Wheatear on the west bank with 2 male and 1 female present, 3 weeks earlier than 2024  but a week later than 2023. With exposed shore now showing waders are starting to show better with 

4 Redshank, 4 Oystercatchers, 6 Curlew and several Lapwing around the edges.

    The annual breeding pair of Pied Wagtails are back to their usual site whilst a second pair were checking the area out. Plenty Meadow Pipits on site, now up displaying, whilst a single Skylark was a rare sight for the area.

   The water just held Greylag and Canada whilst only drake Mallard are now showing with the females obviously sitting eggs.  The Ringed Plover has gone from the area as well as the small group of Golden Plover which I was hoping would settle on the Flat Moor. Nothing in the Nolstar fields.

    A bright sunny day for tomorrow but a light ESE wind which could be a threat of fog for the tops. A cooler start at 4 degrees.

BS

'How she blew' Leeshaw reservoir

 

                                    Wild water

                                Cormorant was blown out of the sky

                                    Dazed on the track

                                    Doing a wing check

                                    Lapwing battling the wind

                                    2 of 5 Redshank

                                    Good count of Oystercatchers

                                    Redshank

                                Few Curlew present

                                Wind not bothering the Greylags

                                    Keeping low above the swell

                                    Nice summer plumage Common gull

                                    3 of  5 Redshank

                                    Common gull

And how the wind blew, gale force WSW>8 gusting strong gale 9 with some cloud but mostly sunshine at  7 degrees. The water was very rough with a deep swell and white horses with spray from the breaking waves obscuring the view at times. Probably one of the strongest winds that I've been birding in with me and the dogs nearly having our legs blown from under us. By 0930 hrs the wind subsided slightly to WSW>6 gusting 7.

     Having said that, a good birding morning with all the birds stirred up and active with others anchored down under the banking. A sight I've never experienced was 3 Cormorant flying low into the wind above the dam wall when a strong gust blew one of them backwards and it ended up crash landing in the middle of the track. It sat a while looking dazed but then checked its wings with a few flaps before settling down in the grass at the track side. As the wind started to subside it took off and continued its journey.

     During one of the strongest blasts of wind a Ringed Plover flew in low over the dam wall and dropped down onto the south bank and out of sight, not to be seen again.

   At least 5 Redshank were present whilst 21 Oystercatchers were in the big goose field along with 7 Curlew and the usual Lapwings.

    Very few gulls moving with 8 Herring, 4 LBB, 1 Black Headed and 4 Common, all moving low over the water and west into the wind.

    Despite the wind, a good and exciting mornings birding, the Ringed Plover being a scarcity at this site.

   Just the opposite for morning with a very light WSW turning SE and cloudy sunshine, kicking off at 6 degrees.

BS

Ogden/Taylor Lane

 

                                Plenty shore showing.

An icy cold start to the morning with a W>4 at 4 degrees and cloudy sunshine.

    With the last two days at Leeshaw and track repairs ongoing at Fly Flatts this morning I decided, in a moment of madness, to try Ogden to see if I could get my first Chiffchaff of the year. Bad move.

   Even at 0800 hrs the car park was near full and the waterside track was over-run with off lead dogs and joggers. With the amount of disturbance birds were near non existent with just 2 Treecreepers plus the usual Robins, Tits etc. The water just held 2 Canadas, 2 Black Headed gull and 4 Herring plus the usual Mallards. By 0915 hrs the cafe was opening and an ice cream van in the car park so time to get out of there. Unfortunately now, Ogden is a place for the public, not the birder. On the plus side, there is a decent amount of shore showing which could hold a wader or two.

     A check down Taylor Lane on the way back was a bit more productive with 12 Mipits, 8 Stock Dove and my first Linnet of the year.

   A brighter day tomorrow with a slight rise in temperature but a WSW wind reaching gale force.

BS

Back to the birds, Leeshaw Reservoir

 

                                    Few big gulls in distant field

                                                Oystercatcher,  Redshank

                                    The spit.

                                    Single Common gull, full summer plumage.

                                        several Herring and LBB

                                    1 of 2 Pink Footed Geese.

A bright and breezy morning at Leeshaw with early dark clouds, as the overnight rain moved away, leaving some blue sky and sunshine on a moderate and cold W>5 gusting 6 at 6 degrees.

    A very lively morning as usual at this site though nothing out of the ordinary. Around 40 Herring, 15 LBB but only 2 Black Headed and 2 Common, these 2 species now noticeable by their absence.

    Wader wise, 3 Redshank, 6 Curlew, 21 Oystercatchers and the usual Lapwings but nothing on the water other than a good count of Greylag and Canada as well as a few Mallard. Only small passerines were a few Meadow Pipit.

  First Swallow today over Manchester, S.J.

   A cloudy cold day for tomorrow with a moderate WSW, increasing by late morning, with a drop in temperature, starting off at 4 degrees.

BS

A boring morning at Fly Flatts

 Pleasant weather wise at Fly Flatts this morning with cloudy sunshine on a light WSW>3 at 7degrees.

     Bird wise it was very poor with just the usual Redshanks, Lapwings, Curlews and Oystercatchers but no sign of Ringed Plover, by this time last year I had 6 present.

    Small passerines included 1 Stonechat, 1 Reed Bunting and a handful of Mipits, with only Geese and Mallards on the water and nothing moving skyward. By 0930 hrs boredom had set in so it was up stumps and game over.

     Heavy overnight rain for tonight with a mix of sunshine and showers tomorrow on a moderate westerly reaching near gale force by midday.

BS

All about gulls, Leeshaw

 

                                    Plenty Herring and LBB present

A cloudy morning at Leeshaw but clear with odd breaks of sunshine on a cool W>4 at 6 degrees.

    The morning was spent mainly gull watching with around 200 mixed LBB and Herring but only 2 Black Headed and no Commons. By 0830 the majority of the gulls had headed off >W leaving around 50 on the water but nothing special standing out but plenty photos to check through later. No sign of yesterdays Yellow Legged though the birds seldom came ashore and the gull with the deformed bill did'nt show.

       Otherwise, just down to the usual Redshanks, Oystercatchers, Curlews and Lapwings with a few mobile Meadow Pipits present.

    A  quick check on Ogden was aborted before I got out of the car with gridlocked traffic in the car parks and on Ogden Lane so a quick turn around and back to Ned Hill track. A walk along the track and over the top of Soil Hill produced 1 Raven and a Kestrel so, other than a dog walk, I'd have been better staying at home and doing some gardening.

    A moderate sou'westerly for morning increasing to strong by midday with cloudy sunshine, starting off at 6 degrees.

BS

Dodging the fog Leeshaw Reservoir

 

                                    Last nights sunset sky.

                                    23 Oystercatchers present

                                    Good count of Herring gulls

                                    As well as Lesser Black Backed

                                  Herring below rock with deformed bill, possible Caspian

                            Herring to left of rock , Yellow Legged.

                                    2 Redshank showing

                                1 of 4 Curlew

                                    SW spit

                                Single Pink Footed goose

With dense fog banks around this morning to the east and west of me I took a gamble on Leeshaw reservoir which paid off with clear blue sky and sunshine on a W>4 gusting 5 at 7 degrees. Full cloud by 0930 hrs but remaining clear.

     Gulls were back this morning with around 40 Herring and 10 LBB but very flighty in the wind and eventually heading off >W. A small group landed on the far north shore briefly just giving me time to pick out a very bright headed gull with a deformed bill. the bright white head, dark eye and snouty look made it a good contender for Caspian, possibly the same deformed bill Caspian I had over Fly Flatts in October but will have to check my photos. It was very distant and in the heat shimmer so photo no good for any plumage details.

    Right next to it, to the left of the rock was a 2 CY Herring gull with pale yellow legs but they all blasted off before I could get anything else on it. Very few small gull present and all the usual gull fields empty looking like the gulling season if coming to an end. Most of the Common gulls have now left Foxhill Park and the Raggalds football pitches.

    No waders as yet other than 2 Redshank and the usual Curlews, Lapwings and Oystercatchers and only the geese and Mallard on the water with the mandarin duck moved on. The single, long staying, Pink Footed goose was in with the Greylags and seems like it has made Leeshaw its new home.

    Looks like a bright but cold day tomorrow with a light WSW wind starting off at 4 degrees.

BS