Queensbury today

                         One of Sundays Waxwings

A mostly grey day with some heavy snow showers blown in on a stiff E>4 although some thaw took place for the hours around midday.
No sightings of the Waxwing flock at lunchtime around Foxhill or New Park Rd and didnt get chance this tea time to check Moorside Rd area although by the time I get home and some tea down me its getting towards roost time.
Skies were very active around Foxhill Park midday with several Common and Black Headed gulls back in the area along with 2 Collared Doves and several Greenfinch which is not a common sighting around Foxhill.
Up to 4 Blackbirds were on the apples stuck in the front garden Hawthorn trees but didnt manage to tempt any Waxwings down.
Just 4 days now and the clocks go forward so we can get a bit of evening birding in, thats when the snow starts to clear to give us some access.
A Common Buzzard was sighted today >NE over Ogden, DJS, see Calderbirds, so a good sign of some raptor movement starting.
BS

Queensbury, more snow, more Waxwings

 Yesterdays Walkabout   Foxhill Park NW corner

                                        Fleet Lane top

    Footpath through to underground reservoir

               Footpath to Old Guy Rd

                                     Wheres that stile gone

                                 End of the footpath

    Pics from today, Chapel Lane top closed

                                  New Park Rd open

                                    The New Park Rd pass

A day of sunshine and snow showers still with the cold E>4 and very little thawing.
Midday in Foxhill park got me a quick sighting of 6 Waxwings which flew over the bungalows dropping down in the Coniston Ave area so it was a text to the cavalry and NK did his job excellent by digging out a few in gardens around the area then a great record of 32 in New Park Rd about 75yds below my house, well done for that Nigel, see his report and pics on Queensburybirder.
After work and tea I had a walk around the area in fading light and managed to get 3 very flighty Waxwings in the same area of New Park Rd briefly on a roof top before heading off to roost.
BS

Every cloud has a silver lining, Waxwings

With the risk of having a weekend without birding looming up it was time to get on the gear and wellies and venture out on foot.
First trek was across Foxhill Park then through the fields to Old Guy Rd which was mainly knee deep in snow and a howling E>5 blasting the snow across the fields. A full scan of all the walls found no Wheatear, theres a suprise, but half way back across the fields was a large flock of Starlings in the distance over Moorclose and a smaller break off flock behind, WAXWINGS !
A dash back across the fields, which isnt easy, its like walking through porridge oats, and head for Moorclose estate.
After a lot of searching I found 2 Waxwings in a garden and another 4 nearby with the rest of the flock mobile around the back gardens.
Had the roads been passable Id have been off in the car and missed yet another flock of Waxwings for Queensbury.
This has got to have been the best year on record for Waxwings in Queensbury due to a shortage of Rowan berries in their usually areas.

At the moment there are 3 4x4s and 2 cars stuck in the drift outside the house with the 3 4x4s roped together trying to pull each other out and going nowhere.
BS

Yet more Queensbury snow scenes

                                   Overt mountain

                                         Foxhill school

                                               Mountain pass

                                             Blizzard conditions

             Where New Park Rd used to be

           Good job theres a sign stopping you going down Chapel Lane

Got my own Soil Hill outside the front gate

             
Think weve been abandoned up here in Queensbury with no sign of diggers or ploughs.
Withdrawal symptoms setting in with a weekend of no birding.
BS

HELP!!!!!! Im going mad stuck in this house. More Snow

                                       I.ll stay here thanks!

                               Queensbury   Terminus, this morning

                                Queensbury High St

                                    Queensbury, Albert Rd

                                          Queensbury traffic lights

                                                   Colditz

                                 Only customer this morning, shop van

                                      Chapel St

                                       Chapel Lane

                                 Blizzard, Chapel Lane/ New Park Rd

                                   Where New Park Rd used to be

                                                          Same area                                                      

                                    Cavalry arrive

                    The long dig from my garage.

                                             Back garden

                                 New Park Rd, job stopped.

Another night and full day of continuous snow grinding Queensbury to a halt.
Opened up the garage till lunch today but of cause all customers rang up and cancelled, then home and dinner followed by 2 hours digging ready for if I can ever get the car out with New Park rd blocked at the top of Chapel Lane and though the diggers keep cutting a path through the blizzarding snow blocks it again.
No Halifax shopping and worst still no tea time birding trip, even a struggle walking the dogs in this depth of snow, its alright for you Howard, yours has long legs, my 3 have stumps.
Can,t see any change for morning but will have to do something, I,m climbing the walls here.
BS

Queensbury in the snow

          Im sure this snow is heavier than it used to be

                                       The roads under there somewhere

                                       Chapel St

                                  Chapel Lane, fog closing in

                                    Chapel Lane to New Park Rd

                                 Foxhill estate, Waxwing country

                                 Up to the back gate

                                    New Park Rd

                              Entrance to Foxhill park

           Thats my garage clear, now to dig a track to Fly Flatts

Worst snow this winter by a long way with continuous snow throughout and a strong E>5-6 creating blizzard conditions and deep drifts. Looking sad on the birding scene this weekend with snow still coming down and more forecast tomorrow.
Nice to see Phil Cunningham at the garage today , ex BOG , now Flamborian. Strange that several locals cancelled repairs today due to the weather but we had Phils car in from Flamborough Head.
Phil had just seen the rare sighting of an Avocet on flooded fields near the lighthouse and another rare sighting a couple of weeks back of a Red Kite which are rarely seen over the headland, bit like Soil Hill, we dont see them there either.
Fingers crossed for the weekend but it will take a massive thaw to get access to most places.
BS