Garden Lesser Redpolls

              A nice bird for your garden , Photo courtesy Pauline Berriman

                                          Photo courtesy, Pauline Berriman

Pauline was well pleased when these 2 Redpolls appeared in her garden in the Horton Bank Top area.
Thanks for sharing them Pauline.
BS

Queensbury Swifts.

 A miserable day with heavy drizzle and low cloud in a W>3 improving late pm leaving a bright evening.
Lunchtime in Foxhill park provided 6 Goldfinch around garden feeders and 2 Pied Wagtails on the top pitch with a Wren that looks like breeding in and out of the wall.
Nothing in the skies due to low cloud although the drizzle brought a Ringed Plover down on the Raggalds flood briefly ( see Queensburybirder) , but this had moved on by the time I could get there at 1930hrs leaving 2 Redshank, 1pr Mallard, 1 Pied Wagtail  and 4 Wheatear.
Had to go pick one of the dogs up from his 6 weekly make-over at Thornton after work which proved lucky with 2 Swifts >N over Yews Green which coincides with several at EGP.

                                   1 of 2 distant Redshank on Raggalds flood.
BS

Queensbury today, Waxwings and Swallows

A cloudy but calmer day up here in the gods with a slight rise in temperature which seemed to get things moving a bit.
A steady flow of LBB and Common gulls was apparent most of the day all heading >NE from first light this morning and continuing till mid afternoon.
A winter / summer mix at lunch time over Foxhill park with 2 Waxwings in moving mode high and fast heading direct >N along with several Swallows in the same direction. Not often you get Swallows and Waxwings in the same sky space.
Otherwise nothing else of note but keep scanning those skies, we must be due for Osprey over the area anytime now.
BS

Ogden, evening visit

                                               Willow Warbler.  Fuji 4500  30x W

Another windy day but from the west >5 with cloudy skies and bright intervals.
An evening visit to Ogden was not one of my better ideas as everyone else had decided to do the same and walking round the water was like Whit Monday on Blackpool front with every kind of disturbance that you could imagine.
The water held 3m and 1f Goosander briefly which then headed off towards the TMR roost whilst the male Goldeneye had got its head down for the night in the middle of the water.
Long Tailed Tits moved through the Willows along with Great and Blue whilst Robins and Dunnocks tried to out sing each other.
Managed my first Willow Warbler with 3 birds flitting about and wasting me half an hour and about 100 shots trying to get 1 decent one in the fading light. How is it that every time you position yourself for a photo someone walks around the corner?
Willow Warbs early spring lack their bright summer plumage and appear as LBJs but are still nice to see.
The Song Thrush was singing loudly a few feet away from me in the Rhododendrons but try as I might I couldnt find it.
BS

Views from yesterdays Fly Flatts trip.

                                                NW conduit

                                       Looking towards the S

                                Looking NE with the Nab in the background

                                         A distant 3rd year GBB gull >W

                                            Wheatear

                                          Twite

                                                   The gang

Just a few pics from yesterdays trip to Fly Flatts trying out a new Fuji 30x bridge camera to replace the Canon 550d that I kindly gave away to some dishonest scumbag at Ogden.

Today was another day of strong winds blowing SW>5 deteriorating into low cloud and drizzle by late afternoon before clearing up at 1900hrs.
Midday up Foxhill Park saw quiet skies and very little bird life at all until I got near the top gate and a male Sparrowhawk came whistling through at knee high and away across the football pitch, no chance of a photo there.
A check of the trailer park field this evening found it empty so it looks as if we can forget this venue until the autumn now unless it turns us a Yellow Wagtail up in the next week or so.
BS

Oxenhope watch point, Windy corner,take 2.

                                    Frog patrol in to land,   Heron

                                    Brilliant white male Goosander

                        Hikers passing the sacrifice stones.

                      Black clouds approach over the sacrifice stones

                                 Soil Hill from the watch point

                    Raggalds flood, 1 Redshank still present.

Oxenhope watchpoint  1500- 1630 hrs. cool SW>4 sunny intervals and light showers, rain by 1600hrs.

With the good SW>4 and rain predicted I thought it could be ideal for passing Terns so off to Oxenhope for another sky watching session.
Sightings were much the same as yesterday but BHG gulls were coming through in greater numbers than yesterdays LBBs. After touching down on the water briefly they were on their way again >NW.
Surprisingly a great lack of Wheatear with only one found.

5 m 3f Goosander
2pr Goosander
6 Mallard
11 Canadas
2 Oystercatchers
2 Greylag geese
1 Wheatear
7 LBB gulls
22 BHG gulls
2 Collared doves...................................>W
+ usual sp.
 1 Redshank was still present on the Raggalds Flood this evening.
BS

FLY FLATTS

                                                 Noisy Oystercatchers

                                    Good to get Common Sandpipers back

                                     Ever present Canadas

                                         Moulty looking Wheatear

                                             Return of the Twite

                                     Plenty Curlews

           NKs Redshank, Raggalds flood 1 present when I passed.

                                       Its official, springs here.

Fly Flatts  0645-1000hrs  Freezing cold SSW>5 bright and sunny clouding over after 0900hrs.

A real birdie morning around the reservoir with Wheatears back in numbers, noisy Oystercatchers and Common Sandpipers piping with a constant call of Curlew, the uplands at its best.
Even Twite were making an appearance at the feeding station with a flighty 2 present.
Very few moving birds other than a single GBB gull over the moor and a Short Eared Owl moving through fast and low across the distant moor in the direction of Hebden Bridge.
All in all a cracking morning.
Met all the usual dog walkers up there who all say the same about YWAs new no access ideas, most of the comments are unprintable .

2 Twite
14 Wheatear
2 Oyks
7 Common Sandpiper
1 GBB gull........................>W
1 SEO...............................>NW
1f Goldeneye
Sev Swallows
+ all usual sp.

Raggalds Flood
1 Redshank
BS.

Oxenhope Watchpoint

                                               Windy corner watchpoint

                                           LBBs calling in at the water

                                   Plenty Meadow Pipits around the waters edge

                         These mix and match ducks threw me

                                  Wigeon to Teal size and very fast fliers

Oxenhope Windy corner  1600-1800hrs  Hazy sunshine  strong W>5

A couple of hours at the watch point didnt come up to expectations with the lack of Wheatear, Ring Ouzel and of course passing Osprey, but as always with this place there is always something to keep you occupied.
Most of the activity was in the fields at the far side of Long Causeway with Canada geese, Oystercatchers, Lapwings and Curlew whilst the water held Goldeneye, Goosander and Mallard with LBBs dropping in to freshen up on their way >NW.
The two odd ducks had me going a bit when they flew in and landed at the far end of the water eventually drifting my way before flying off again. They were small in size, Teal to Wigeon, and flew very fast the same as Teal, an interesting cross.

2 Hybrid type ducks
4f 3m Goosander
2m 1f Goldeneye
2 Oystercatchers
15 LBB gulls
11  Canada geese
1 Heron
1 Linnet
sev Meadow Pipit
1 Kestrel
2  Peregrine high and >N
3 Swallow
sev Curlew and Lapwing
BS

Alive with Wheatears, Soil Hill

                                 At last, Wheatear invasion

                 At least 9 f and 3m in one area alone.

                                            Several singing Skylarks

After a horrendous morning with heavy rain and sleet the afternoon turned out bright, mild and calm.
An after work trip to Soil Hill was planned, partly due to perfect conditions for passing Osprey and mainly to try to find NKs Ring Ouzel , a species I badly need a photo of.
This was then further inspired by a report from DP am  and NK pm of Wheatears invading the hill.
On arrival I soon found myself amongst the Wheatears cutting short the Ring Ouzel search and taking my concentration off sky watching with so many Wheatears around but all typical spring birds being very flighty unlike autumn birds which are much more docile and photogenic but lack the male plumage.
I counted 9 female and 3 male just in one small area along with several singing Skylarks.
Shame about the Ring Ouzel but thats for another day.
BS