Fly Flatts

 

                                    Minimum of 10 Redshank

                                    Several Reed Buntings

                                    3 Stonechat

                                    6 white Greylag raised here last year

                                    1 of 4 Heron

      

Decent conditions at Fly Flatts this morning with full cloud cover on a light SW>3 at 4 degrees.

    The shore is beginning to show well now in the SW and SE corners as well as the peninsular showing well on the east bank.

   At least 10 Redshank present as well as 6 Oystercatchers but no sign of the Ringed Plover, otherwise just Curlews and Lapwings wader wise.

   The compound bushes were busy with a good count of Meadow Pipits along with several Reed Buntings, 3 Stonechat and the usual 2 Pied Wagtails. I never get a Heron at this site throughout the year until the frog season starts and this morning 4 were present. Unfortunately, a lot of the spawn is now high and dry where the water level in the dyke has dropped.

   Nothing untoward on the water other than the geese and Mallards although a text this morning, from an unknown, number reported 36 Whoopers on Lower Laithe.

   Only raptors showing were 2 Kestrel and a distant Peregrine heading >S over Tatty Pie Hill.

A bad forecast for tomorrow with heavy rain throughout on a moderate sou'wester at 7 degrees.

BS.

Leeshaw and Leeming Reservoirs.

 

LEESHAW                    Herons after the frogs.

                                Several singing Wrens.

                                    Lapwing in full breeding plumage

                                Spot the 2 Redshank in with Lapwings

                                    Around 200 Lapwing

                                Minimum of 32 Oystercatchers.

                                    1 of 2 Little Owl

  LEEMING                        Single Buzzard over

                                1st 2 Sand Martins of the year.

                               High up and buzzing around at mega fast speed.

                                  Went dizzy trying to get them in the camera.

A bright sunny start to the morning at Leeshaw reservoir but then fully overcast from 0800 hrs on a light WSW>2 at 6 degrees.

    More or less the same as my last visit with the addition of a pair of Grey Wagtails down in the beck plus a higher count of at least 32 Oystercatchers and around 200 Lapwing. Two Redwing over >W, a rare sighting this winter, whilst several Wrens were up singing along with MeadowPipits.

   Just 1 Pink Footed Goose on the water but most of the Canada and Greylag flocks in a top field out of sight. Around 8 Curlew in the fields but again no gulls other than 2 LBB over >W. Up to 6 Redshank present.

   A quick stop off at Leeming on the way home was fruitful with 2 Sand Martin high over the water and zooming around at great speed making me dizzy trying to get them in the camera. They disappeared when a calling Buzzard flew over. Nothing on the water other than Mallards and 3 drake Tufted duck.

    Passing Keelham on the return journey several Fieldfare were in one of the fields, also a Redshank in the gulley in the Raggalds Flood field.

A day of cloudy sunshine tomorrow at 5 degrees early morn with the light wind starting off  from the NE then slowly moving around to E then SE then S and finally SW late afternoon. Visibility could start off as hazy.

BS

     

   

Ogden, Ned Hill Track, Soil Hill summit.

 

                                    A clear calm Ogden

                                    Fly Flatts from Soil Hill.

                                    Chance of waders on Soil Hill summit.

                                    White Greylags leaving Ogden

                                Thought they were Whoopers at first.

                                    3 male, 1 female Tufted duck.

                                    4 Herring gulls present.

A bright sunny morning with distant hazy skies on a very light >NW 2 turning >E at 6 degrees.

    With work parties again at Fly Flatts, this weekend, and next, I reluctantly headed for Ogden which is not the best idea for a sunny weekend morning.

   As I got out of the car, what I thought was 2 Whooper Swans taking off from the water then arcing round to head off high and NE, turned out to be 2 white Greylags, probably the Fly Flatts birds.

  A quick check of the water and the west bank, as far as the Alders, was enough with floods of  people walking round. Nothing in the trees and just 4 Herring gull and 2 Black Headed along with 3m and 1f Tufted duck. 

    By 0845 hrs the car park area was like Blackpool front on a Wakes weekend so got out sharpish and headed for the tranquillity of the Ned Hill track to see if I could get my first Skylark of the year.

  After a few dryish days the ground wasn't too bad so ventured up onto the summit where normally now it is too wet and boggy for the dogs but this morning it was good. The area looks ideal now to attract a wader or too with plenty hollows and water filled scrapes as it used to be in the late 1900s, early 2000s when I regularly had Ringed and Little Ringed Plover and found a Dotterel  27/4/2008 as well as a Purple Sandpiper 5/11/2006. I'm surprised that Snow Bunting was never reported up there this winter as the habitat is now back as it was when they were a common winter visitor.

   Plenty Meadow Pipits on the top but expected it to be alive with Skylark but only heard 2 distant birds and saw 1 flushed by a Mipit. Otherwise, 2 Curlew and 2 LBB gull heading >W and a Kestrel overhead.

   It was in the early 2000s that I'd been up there looking for Snow Bunting in very wet conditions when my foot suddenly sank deep down into the mud up to my knee. With trying to pull my foot out my other foot did the same. The suction of the mud was so great that I was stuck solid up to my knees. With light fading, and no mobile phones in those days I thought, "I could be in a spot of bother here"

     Luckily I had my trusty Rigger boots on so the only way I could get free was to slide my feet out of my boots leaving them deep underground. I then had a painful walk back across the hill and down the track to the car in my stocking feet. In 100 years time, when they dig up Soil Hill to build houses, my boots will be discovered and probably end up in Bankfield museum.

   Looking cloudy for tomorrow on a light westerly at 5 degrees and chance of morning fog.

BS

   

Arrival of fog from the east. Leeshaw.

 

                                    A misty Leeshaw

                                    2 Little Owl present

                                    1 of 4 Redshank

                                    Several Curlew

                                      Some of 26 Oystercatchers/

                                    1 of 3 Pink Footed geese

 Pink Footed with Greylags                                                            

Dense fog on the tops this morning so over to Leeshaw which was difficult to work on a low cloud base with mist and fog banks constantly moving through on a light SE>3 at 5 degrees. 

    A drake Wigeon was the highlight of the morning but only a brief sighting before it moved to the west end of the water and disappeared into the mist, not to re appear. The 3 long staying Pink Footed Geese were in with the Greylags but nothing else on the water other than Canada geese and Mallards

whilst a Heron was on the banking.

    At least 4 Redshank present and a count of 26 Oystercatchers along with Curlews and Lapwings but otherwise just down to the usual species.

  As I drove home, past Oxenhope graveyard, a Nuthatch flew out and landed on the wall at the roadside, a bit of an unusual sighting.

   Looking like a bright sunny day tomorrow on a light westerly starting off at 6 degrees.

BS