Leeming reservoir

 

                                    Plenty gulls around

                                    Loads of Red Admirals

                                    Alive with Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers

                                    Majority Chiffchaffs.

                                    Several Goldfinch

                                    Gt Spotted Woodpecker, juv.

A bright but very windy morning with a near gale SW>6 with full sun at 12 degrees.

    Far too windy for Fly Flatts to be productive plus, being Sunday, the wind would bring out the windsurfers so off to Leeshaw. As I got near Oxenhope the road was closed, once again so a turn around and had to settle for Leeming reservoir.

    Tons of shore here but not a wader of any description after a full check around the waters edge. Several Black Headed, Herring and Lesser Black Backed gulls were spread around the waters edge but no Common gulls present.

    The water held several Mallard, a single Tufted and 2 Cormorants whilst the skies remained empty.

Thinking it was going to be a wasted morning I walked further on the track to find the trees, hedges and brambles were alive with small passerines flitting about in the foliage so the rest of my time was spent checking through the warblers thinking I may find a Spotted Flycatcher or Redstart but not to be.

    The numbers were so great it looked like it had been an overnight fall with the majority being Chiffchaffs as well as several Willow Warblers, Long Tailed, Great and Blue Tits, Goldfinch and Chaffinch, as well as Robins, Dunnocks and a juvenile Gt Spotted Woodpecker.

     Luckily. this display of passerines saved the morning even though this is not my usual sort of birding.

    Tomorrow showing cloudy sunshine with rain showers on a strong S turning SW at 12 degrees.

BS

Trying on my patience, Fly Flatts.

 

                                1 of 3 Wheatear

                                    Juv Grey Wagtail

                                    Noisy Raven.

A morning as yesterday, weather wise, with early low cloud and mist which soon cleared to leave 80% cloud and patches of sunshine on a light SW>3 at 12 degrees.

     Apart from the weather being the same as yesterday, so too was the birding with very little to brighten up the morning. Acres of muddy shore and not a wader in sight other than a single Lapwing on the east shore along with 11 LBB and 3 Black Headed gull.

    Only 3 Wheatear and a single Stonechat on the fence line along with several Meadow Pipits, whilst around 50 Goldfinch were working the track side thistles.

   A Willow Warbler was in the lagoon tree, with a juv Grey Wagtail down in the lagoon inlet.

Nothing overhead other than a few Swallows >S and a noisy cronking Raven heading for the quarry.

  Meanwhile, the water held 4 Canadas and 9 Mallard.

A bright morning showing for tomorrow with cloudy sunshine at 12 degrees but a moderate Southerly strengthening late morning.

BS

The search continues, Fly Flatts

 

                                Local Crows mobbing Kestrel.

                                    Just 2 Wheatear present.

Poor conditions this morning with a foggy start lifting to a very low cloud base with light drizzle on a SSW3 inc 4 at 12 degrees. The skies finally cleared by 0945 hrs with a touch of sun but too late in the day for any fly over migrants other than Hirundines.

     Just enough visibility to scope the north and east shoreline from the west bank though dark and misty but enough to prove no waders present. Just 4 LBB and 3 Black Headed gulls on the shore with nothing on the water.

   Several Meadow Pipits were around the shore along with just 2 Wheatear but no sign of the Stonechat flock down on the fence line. The 2 resident Crows were giving 2 Kestrels some grief whilst a Buzzard was high over the moor.

    On the way home, a check of the Withins Head farm area for Black Redstart and the Nolstar fields for Yellow Wagtails drew a blank, even though there are several reports of good counts of Yellow Wag around the region at present. Yellow Wag is a bogey bird for me with my last sighting at Fly Flatts, 3/8/2020 and only 6 sightings since 2011. My best sighting being on the Raggalds Flood, 17/5/2013.

     A morning of cloudy sunshine for morning at 10 degrees on a moderate SW increasing as the day goes on bringing a weather front of rain around midday.

BS

A steady morn at Fly Flatts.

 

                                        Teal and Tufted duck

A brisk SW>4 gusting 5 this morn at Fly Flatts with 90% cloud ad patches of sunshine at 13 degrees.

     Another trudge along the west bank failed to produce any waders with just 16 LBB and 2 Black Headed gulls on the shore.

     A few wildfowl was a pleasant change with 9 Mallard, 1 Teal, 1 Tufted and 4 Canadas. The female Tufted and its 4 young that bred at Fly Flatts keep alternating between this site and Cold Edge dams.     Down on the fence line, the Whinchats had gone, leaving 4 Stonechat, 8 Wheatear and several Meadow Pipits, all very mobile in the wind.

   Nothing skyward other than 4 Kestrel and a single Raven plus a handful of Swallows motoring >S.

Cloudy sunshine for tomorrow on a light SSW  at 11 degrees.

BS

A windy but lively Fly Flatts.

 

                                        Wheatear on the mud

                                    15 Goosander on the move

                                        Off >SW

                                        7 Wheatear present

                                        6 Stonechat

A very windy morning on a SW>3 - 4  with 50% cloud and sunshine at 14 degrees, clouding over by 0945 hrs.

    Nothing wader-wise around the shores with just 10 LBB, 2 Herring and 3 Black Headed gulls on the east shoreline.

    The fence line was much quieter this morning, possibly due to the strong with and the family of 6 Kestrel all working the west bank.

Just 2 Whinchat present but further out on the edge of the moor appearing briefly out of the bracken, whilst  6 Stonechat and 7 Wheatear were very active. The lagoon tree held 2 Willow Warblers with 2 Grey Wagtails down in the lagoon.

    Sky-wise was interesting with 3 Buzzard up over to the west whilst 19 Swallow headed >S and a nice surprise with a flock of  15 Goosander that flew over the water from the NE and disappeared down the Calder Valley >SW.

    Same forecast for tomorrow as today with a fine bright morning on a moderate SSW at 12 degrees, then possible showers p.m.

BS

Another passerine morning, Fly Flatts.

 

                                        Juv Stonechat

                                        Juv Grey Wagtail

                                    Ad Grey Wagtail

                                            Several Wheatear

                                    Whinchat count up to 5

                                    Wheatear and Stonechat

A poor start to the morning with mist and heavy drizzle clearing by 0830 hrs to leave full low cloud on a SW>3 at 15 degrees.

    With just 17 LBB and 3 Black Headed gulls on the shore, and no waders to be found, I had to diversify and check out the passerine hotspots for this time of year. The compound area and bushes were busy with Mipits and Stonechats but no Spotted Flycatcher and Warblers that usually pass through anytime now.

  The lagoon area and tree provided 2 Grey Wagtails and a single Willow Warbler along with 3 Reed Bunting. 

  Down below the banking, along the bracken covered moorland edge, found the Whinchats were up to 5 birds along with 8 Stonechat, 11 Wheatear and a hugging of Meadow Pipits though the Whinchats were mainly sticking to a more distant area of bracken.

   Otherwise, just 9 Swallows >S and 2 Kestrel although my head was mostly looking down rather than skyward. The south shore was awash with Mipits feeding on the waters edge.

    A dry morning on a moderate southerly wind at 13 degrees with rain showers expected from midday.

BS