Elland Gravel Pits.

 

                                        Several Cormorants

                                    Single distant Goldeneye

 Decent conditions down at EGP though rather dark with full cloud on a light SE>3 at 4 degrees.

         With fog forecast to roll in mid morning on high ground, which it did, I headed down to EGP or my annual check which I soon remembered why I only do it around once a year by the time I got there in nose to tail traffic taking me 45 minutes to get there in the works and school queues but only 15 minutes back home. I used to visit this site at least 3 times a week but those days are gone.

     Most of my birding time was taken up travelling but a quick skim around managed to find my target birds with a struggle.

     Two small groups of Siskin and Redpoll were mobile around the canal bank Alders but only settling briefly before heading off to another tree. A Little Grebe was on the river along with Coot, Moorhen and Mallards whilst several Cormorants and Herons were present. A Kingfisher and 4 Teal were in the lagoon area but no sign of a Water Rail reported there.

    The ski lake held 6 Tufted along with a good count of Herring and LBB gulls plus the usual Black Headed but no sign of Goldeneye until a last minute scan, as I was ready for leaving, revealed a single drake near to the fishermans lake. 

    Winter Water Rail used to be a common sight under the steel bridge below the weir but no time to check that area. This area was also the last stronghold for Yellowhammer and Mandarin duck but that was many moons ago.

   Bikes on the tow path were a nuisance this morning which reminded me of the time when Gordon Denison was stood on the tow path looking through his bins and stepped back as a bike was passing him. The rider and bike ended up in the canal and Gordon just looked at him and said " whats tha doing in theer lad" !  I don't know what the bikers reply was !!!

     Wet and windy for tomorrow with a moderate ESE at 6 degrees plus of course the mandatory hill fog.

BS

    

Ogden bart fog / Horton Bank Top

 

OGDEN                    6 Treecreepers in same area

                                    Low count of gulls

                                    Single Herring gull

                                    1 of 3 Common Gull

HORTON BANK TOP.

                                    Several small gulls

                                    2 pair Goosander

                                        16 Herring gull

A very dark damp morning with fog on the tops whilst Ogden was below the cloud base with full cloud on a light SE>3 at 5 degrees.

   My plan was for Fly Flatts this morning but with fog on the tops I diverted to Leeshaw. I expected Leeshaw to be a bit of a problem with Long Causeway being closed until near the end of February but I aimed to go through Denholme and then on Trough Lane. As I approached Denholme Gate there was standing traffic as far as you could see towards Denholme which I later found out it was temporary traffic lights on the main road near Denholme causing gridlock. A quick three point turn to end up at Ogden again.

    A Canada goose was on the water along with 12 Black Headed, 3 Common and a single Herring gull as well as the usual Mallards. Christmas tree work was ongoing along the east bank so just a check of the west and north bank waterside trees which were very dark and extremely quiet. 

   Apart from the usuals, just one area was interesting with up to 6 Treecreepers and 3 Wrens around the same three trees. Overhead a Raven was being mobbed by 3 Crows.

    One hour spare mid afternoon so, as the dogs needed their afternoon walk up Foxhill. I threw them in the car and shot down to Horton Bank Top for a quick gull check.

    Around 16 Herring gulls present on, the now unfrozen water, as well as near on 50 small gulls. Several Canada geese and 2 Mute Swan were present along with 2 pair of  Goosander and a high count of Coot, Moorhen and Mallards. No sight or sound of the 2 recently reported Water Rails from there and just Great and Blue Tits in the trees.

    A cloudy morning forecast for tomorrow on a moderate SE and, of course, the usual fog with the temp back down to 3 degrees. Rain given for after midday.

BS

Going through a bad patch, Ogden

 

                                    Fog rolling in

                                    As good as it got

                                    Clear along the west bank

                                    Water pouring in

                                        Parakeet pond

The fog was a bit less dense at home this morning so headed off to Ogden. Here the fog was still fairly dense but soon came in thicker giving visibility only a quarter of the way across the water. Fog didn't affected the walk around the track and was pleasantly mild at 5 degrees on a very light SE>1. After heavy overnight rain water is gushing down the overflow.

     Several small passerines moving about in the waterside trees but only the usual Blue and Great Tits, Robins, Dunnocks and Blackbirds as well as 2 Treecreepers.

    As much as I could make out on the water was 4 Black Headed and a single Herring gull plus the usual Mallards.

    A slightly stronger SE wind forecast for morning will hopefully clear the fog. Possible light rain showers with some cloudy sunshine at 6 degrees. Tuesday is showing as the best day of the week before the fog returns later in the week.

BS

More fog, another walk in the park, Wibsey.

 

                                    Just 2 Mute Swan

                                Wildfowl in the fog

                                    Around 40 Black Headed on the ice.

                                    Several Greylag

                                    18 Tufted

                                    Plenty Coot and Moorhen.

A real pea-souper in Queensbury this morning so another trip downhill to Wibsey where the fog was very near as thick with rain throughout on a light easterly at 4 degrees. The lake is still 50% frozen.

     Another, what turned out to be, just a dog walk, with nothing special on the water or among the gulls. Around 40 Black Headed were on the ice, all carefully checked for a Med gull, whilst a good count of Canada and Greylags were present along with 2 Mute Swan.

    At least 18 Tufted were on the water along with the usual Moorhen, Coot and Mallards. Too foggy to check the surrounding trees other than plenty Woodpigeon and Collared Dove.

      Same weather due tomorrow with fog  and rain on a light SE at 5 degrees.

BS

    

     

     

Peering through the fog, Harold Park.

 

                                    Poor visibility

                                    Gulls and Tufteds

                                        Goosanders in the fog

                                    Stand off with Coots

                                    Plenty Black Headed gulls

                            Mallards up a tree so they could see where they were.

                                    3 Goosander present

Dense for as promised in Queensbury this morning so headed downhill to Harold Park to get below the cloud base. Unfortunately the fog was nearly as bad as higher up with just enough visibility to see half way across the water. A pleasant enough walk round with a light SE>2 at 5 degrees.

    Nothing special on the water with no sign of the annual winter Little Grebe and pair of Pochard which usually winter at this site. As reported yesterday by NK, a higher than usual count of Tufted duck with several more up on the top pond, which was 50% frozen.

      Around 70 Black Headed gull but only 2 Herring gull found through the murk along with 3 Goosander and the usual Coot, Moorhen, Mute Swans and Mallards.

    The surrounding trees held Great and Blue Tis as well as Chaffinch, Robin, Collared Dove ad Woodpigeon. A dog walker there told me that over the last few days there has been 2 Ring Necked Parakeets present at the top end of the park.

   Access to the top end of Park dam is now a no go where the field with the track through has been bulldozed up and all fenced off.  

    Fog and rain for morning courtesy of a light east breeze at 4 degrees.

BS

    

Glutton for punishment, Ogden

                                    As good as it got, few gulls
 

                                    Several Black Headed

                                    Single Herring.

Another pleasant morning at Ogden with fog on the tops. Full cloud on a light S>2 at 2 degrees.

      No improvement this morning with no disturbance but no birds along the west and north waterside trees other than a Treecreeper, a Robin and a Blackbird.

    The water held around 30 Black Headed, 3 Common and a single Herring gull as well as an unusually low count of  Mallard.

    This has got to be the worst winter on record so far at this site along with several other sites. Its said that mild weather around Scandinavia etc is holding birds there without the need to move south?

  A poor forecast for tomorrow and the next 4 days with a light wind from the SE bringing some light rain and fog at 5 degrees.

BS