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

   

A murky Fly Flatts

 

                                    1 of 3 Redshank

                                    Nearly missed this Red Kite

A deteriorating morning at Fly Flatts with a full dark low cloud base and damping in the moderate ESE>4 at 12 degrees. By 0930 hrs the mist moved in dropping visibility with drizzle then light rain.

     Despite all that it was much better reservoir tackle with birds much livelier though most at distance.

Highlight of the morning, apart from a far away Short Eared Owl, was when I had my head down in the scope, 2 Redshank started alarm calling and when I looked up a Red Kite was overhead but keeping moving >W. By the time I got the camera up it was disappearing into the mist. 

    Waders were more lively after yesterdays strong winds with 3 Dunlin, 3 Redshank and 2 Common Sandpiper, as well as the usual Oystercatchers, Curlews and Lapwings but all very mobile. Plenty Swallows over the water but no Martins or Swifts.

    A dry morning tomorrow with cloudy sunshine on a moderate westerly at 13 degrees.

BS

     

Strong wind makes a quiet morning, Fly Flatts.

 

                                    4 Oystercatchers, 4 chicks present

                                    Keeping out of the wind

                                        1 of 4 chicks.

                                        juv Meadow Pipit.

Way too windy to be productive this morning with most birds anchored down out of the near gale force

SSW>6 gusting gale force 8 which was'nt forecast. A mix of  cloudy sunshine with some early light drizzle showers at 15 degrees.

    Another morning marred by the strong wind with even the geese sticking in the long grass at the north end. The 2 pair of Oystercatchers were present, both with their pair of chicks but keeping well apart and plenty hostility between them. The chicks are spreading out now looking more independent but still being guarded by the adults.

    Just a single Redshank and Common Sandpiper showing briefly along with the juv Pied Wagtails, all actively feeding along the waters edge. Curlew and Lapwing are still in the fields.

    The only thing skyward was around 50 LBB gulls heading >SW along with a single Common gull.

Cloud and showers for tomorrow starting at 14 degrees and still the strong sou'wester with the risk of a thunderstorm. Looks like its a morning for Gull and Tern watching.

BS

Half an effort birding day. Ogden p.m.

 

Around 60 big gulls                                                                 

                                   All LBB plus 2 Herring

                                    Single Teal on the water

                                This 2 CY had a pale enough mantle for

                                a Yellow Legged Herring. Stood out among the LBBs and 

                                 bright yellow legs.

With the car in for its annual health check this morning I was stuck to wandering around Halifax for nearly 2 hours along with a cart load of druggies. Halifax town centre used to be such a nice place but those days are gone.

      A bit of spare time in the afternoon and the dogs to walk so I headed to Ogden to see if NKs YL Herring from yesterday was present. There was around 70 LBB and 2 Herring with a pale mantled, yellow legged, 2CY gull which stood out among the LBBs as a possible YL no NKs bird never showed.

   A single drake Tufted was out on the water but otherwise just the usual species. I never bothered with the woods, even though the only warblers I've had this year so far are Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff as warblers are in low demand at Fly Flatts and Leeshaw.

     Luckily, I missed a morning of fog at Fly Flatts today with the SE wind and tomorrow its back to a moderate SSW but starting off at 15 degrees which is getting a bit on the warm side for me.

BS

Another wader for Fly Flatts, Greenshank.

 

                                        A poor year for Snipe

                                    Oystercatcher chicks doing well

                                        2 White Greylag families present

                                White Greylags taking over.

                                Mega distant Greenshank

                                    Out of range and in the heat shimmer

                                Usual August birds

                                    Single Dunlin

                                    1 of 3 Redshank

                                    Dunlin and Redshank

A pleasant morning at Fly Flatts with a light SSW 2 and full sun clouding by 0945 hrs. The temp was up to 12 degrees playing havoc with the heat shimmer.

     A walk the full length of the west bank this morning, with the wind finally dropped, which proved worthwhile. As I got part way on a wader flew in high from the SW which I first suspected Redshank, but as it got nearer, doubt set in with a wrong flight pattern. I kept it in the bins so as not to lose it and as it landed there was no wing lifting that Redshank do.

    With the scope up on its legs I immediately picked it out as a Greenshank but way across on the north shore. A few record shots, not expecting to get anything, then carried on the west bank to try get something near in range. Next time I stopped and scoped it was gone, and after a good while scoping the full reservoir shoreline I had to admit it was gone. This was possibly the Manchester Audenshaw reservoir bird which has now left their area so possibly dropped over the hill to my area, as birds seldom do and visa versa.

     There are 2 pairs of Oystercatchers with 2 chicks each now  and still a Dunlin which I believe its mate is breeding on the moor. Otherwise, 4 Common Sandpiper, 3 Redshank and 3 Curlew, wader wise.

   A poor year for Snipe with just a single pair present that I know of whereas at least 6 pair were always present a few years ago, and the same story at Leeshaw.

     At least 8 newly fledged Pied Wagtails are dotting around the south shore as well as 2 pair of adults whilst the white Greylags are taking over with 2 families doing well.

     A mixed bag of sunshine , cloud and possible showers tomorrow with a moderate SSE strengthening late morning.

BS