A nice bright and sunny morning at Ogden on a very cold NW>4 at 4 degrees and feeling colder with the wind chill.
A count of 37 Canadas were on the water but soon left towards Mixenden leaving 6 Tufted, 1 Goosander, 2 Wigeon and a much lower count of Teal with around 12 left, some of these being very flighty. Still a record count of Mallard enjoying the waterside weeds before the rapidly rising water level covers them. YW ranger told me they are trying to get the level up quickly with water gushing in at the north end and very little being released at the south end valve, just enough to keep the stream flowing.
Very little in the waterside trees with just a few Tit species and ,again, no sign of the Chaffinch flock.
Nice to bump into, and have a catch up, with Queensbury birder, Denise Shields who was photographing the Teal. Denise had just had a Brambling in her garden, which is 'par for the course' for her each winter. Denise found the Yellow Browed Warbler at Ogden back in 29/9/2012 so we just need her to find a Firecrest this winter.
More Woodpigs heading >S first light this morning and drying up by 0815 hrs. Woodpigs and Starling are the last species in numbers to move, other than wildfowl, denoting nearing the end of a very poor visible migration period.
A cloudy morning tomorrow with rain expected after midday on a light westerly after overnight strong winds at 3 degrees. Clocks back tonight so a bit lighter for any early birders in the morning.
BS