Leeshaw Reservoir/ Raggalds Flood

                                       40+ Greylags not including young

                                       4 of 6 Oystercatchers

                                          c 80 Canadas not including  young

                                      No shortage of Swallows

                            Cuckoo in the trees seen across the water

   30 minutes to locate this Cuckoo.   Digiscoped

                                          Same view 400mm.

A hot sunny day which is good for sun worshippers but not for birders

Leeshaw reservoir was quieter than usual with several of the usuals missing although fly fishermen didnt help around the shoreline.
No sign of KMs Egyptian goose from yesterday after an extensive search of all the usual geese fields but a Cuckoo was calling throughout and after nearly 30 mins scoping I picked it out in a tree across the water where it eventually got mobbed moving it behind the farm.
The ploughed field was empty other than the usual Lapwings.

A visit to Raggalds flood before and after Leeshaw found 3 Pied Wags and 2 Lapwing. Bring back the wind and rain.

Leeshaw

1 Cuckoo
6 Oystercatchers
1 Ringed Plover
1 Common Sandpiper
6 Curlew
40+ Greylag + numerous young
c80 Canadas + numerous young
+ usual sp.
BS

The amazing Raggalds Flood

                                           Canadas on the flood

                                 Caught up with the Oystercatcher at last

                                       Redshanks still present

                                       Ringed Plover hard to pick out.

An atrocious day with gales force NE>6 gusting 7 and torrential rain showers.
A text from DJS this a.m. reporting Oystercatcher , Ringed Plover and Redshank at Raggalds flood meant a quick lunchtime visit to try for the Oyk which was a new species for me for that location.
The wind blew and the rain lashed down and even from the car the rain blasted through the open window making it impossible to scan , even so I managed the Ringed Plover but no Oyk.
NK braved the elements early afternoon and managed a severe dowsing.
                                         After tea it was back up there armed with scope, camera and bins and although it remained fine,just, the black clouds rolled over and the wind blew making scoping near impossible although I  did get some good views of the Ringed Plover.
The shoreline was alive with birds including 2 newcomers in the form of Canada geese and pleasingly the Oystercatcher was present.
Its amazing how the waders can just merge into the muddy background making you think they,ve gone until they suddenly reappear.

2 Canada Geese
2 Redshank
1 Ringed Plover
4 Pied Wagtails
6 Lapwing
1m Mallard
1 Oystercatcher
1 Kestrel
c20 Swallows
2 Carrion Crow
4 LBB gulls overhead.

NK deserves a knighthood for discovering this location.
BS

Queensbury, Snow, Sleet ,Hail and gales and nearly June

A terrible day with snow coming down in big flakes early morning then turning to sleet with heavy hail showers driven on by a strong NW>6.
Well done to NK for getting out in the conditions and finding another Ringed Plover on Raggalds flood, see Queensburybirder for his report and pic.
I called up there tonight in better conditions and found it to be still there on the far shore but no Redshanks.
Four Lapwings were having an aerial battle but only 3 Swallows tonight and no Wheatear.
Yesterdays gull movement had dried up today.
BS

Ogden / Raggalds Flood

               She,ll have a job looking after 9 young

    Hope she,s warned them about the Heron !

                                Back to 2 Redshank on the flood

                                     Same f Wheatear still present

                                   
An after tea trip to Ogden was poor to say the least with just the usual Mallards + young, 5 Canadas and not a passerine in sight.
Nice to get back to the flood which was lively tonight in the sunshine.
Two Redshank were present along with the Lapwing which did,nt seem to mind them being there.
Three Pied Wagtails were on the shoreline and the long staying Wheatear was in the field.
Lots of Swallows were feeding and several were landing in the grass in the field to the south which is a bit of an unusual sighting.

Midday over the village today saw several LBB gulls >N and unusual for this time of year 3 Common gulls going in the same direction.

Buzzards still continue to move with one reported over the village yesterday, DP and another today over Denholme seen by NK as he was texting me about yesterdays bird.
BS

Redshank back on the flood.

                                   Return of the Redshank

A murky damp day with dark clouds and poor skyward visibility.

The flood was slowly getting enveloped in mist by 1900hrs

Shopping tonight but a detour past the Raggalds flood was pleasing to find a single Redshank along with the Lapwing, 1 Pied Wagtail , several Swallows and a newcomer in the form of a Mistle Thrush.

Spoke to YW yesterday and had it confirmed that Fly Flatts is now strictly a no public access area.
The only access is entry at the northern end and down the track to the NW corner of the reservoir and over the moorland path. Access to the reservoir banking is prohibited.
I applied for a permit which came today but this only allows me in at the northern end , down the track, along the western reservoir banking and down to the Twite feeding area. It doesnt allow access to the south end of the reservoir or the track up to the SE corner.
Other than this there is strictly no dogs so my 3 are going to have to write to YW to get their own permits!
Still can,t get any reason for it being shut off after being public for so many years. Right to roam does not apply to this area being private.
BS
 

Raggalds Flood

                                  Wader country, The Flood

                                                 Lapwing standing guard

A calm but very grey hazy day with a rise in temperature.
A quick check on the Raggalds flood this evening found the single Lapwing along with a male Pied Wagtail, 1 female Mallard  and 2 rabbits.
Several Swallows were over the water and a Green Woodpecker flew over from the direction of Soil Hill disappearing over Nettle Hole towards the old railway station.
Another to add to the list although both NK and me have had this sp before from Soil Hill flying in this direction.
Be glad when the Lapwings partner, where ever it,s nesting, have hatched the young and moved on to give the waders a chance. It was even trying to get rid of the Swallows tonight.
BS

Soil Hill north, Raggalds flood, TMR.

                                    LBB gulls piling in

                                           A solitary Redshank

                                            1 of 3 m Goosander

                                         Several bathing Curlews

                                  No shortage of LBBs here

        Meanwhile in the wood, Willow Warbler

1530-1800hrs  warm and sunny,  WNW >4

Firstly a check of Raggalds flood to add NKs Oystercatcher to the sp list but moved on, probably courtesy of the territorial Lapwing.
Next, a check of the Keelham end of Soil Hill, the Shay area for NKs mystery yellow bird and also to get my first Whitethroat of the year, not to be on both counts. Only birds present were 2 Reed Bunting.
In order to rescue a rapidly going down hill session it was off to Windy corner, Oxenhope to see if it had livened up from previous visits.
On arrival it was obvious that things had improved and although there was nothing special, including the target bird, Ring Ouzel, there was things to see and photograph throughout.
Strange how just over the hill at Ogden and Fly Flatts LBB gull is a bit of a rarety but here there were going on 300 birds, on the water, in the air and even perched on the walls.
Curlews were bathing in the water along with a Redshank whilst 3m Goosander were present.
Willow Warblers were singing in the wood but no Cuckoo which can usually be found at this site.

c300 LBB gulls
1 Redshank
3m Goosander
3m Pied Wagtail
2 Golden Plover,  fly overs
2 Mistle Thrush
4 Willow Warbler
+ usual Curlews, Lapwings etc.

Another check at the flood on the way home again found Lapwing, Pied Wagtail and Swallows
BS

Fly Flatts

                                    At least 11 Common Sandpipers

 This poor LBB settled in the heather and never woke up.

                                              Dirty boy.

                                          Plenty Swift feeding.

Fly Flatts 0645-1000hrs  Calm, cloudy and damp.

Its hard to believe that Fly Flatts can be so quiet when Leeshaw, just over the hill, is buzzing with birds.
Plenty shoreline showing but apart from a good count of Common Sandpipers there were no waders found after constantly scoping the shoreline, not even Redshank or Oystercatcher.
Good to get a brief view of a male Stonechat near the top gate before it was off across the moor and my first sighting this year of House Martin with several mixed in with the feeding Swifts.
Only one Curlew heard which is unusual but good breeding numbers with the Greylag and Canadas.

1m Stonechat
11 Common Sandpiper
c60 Swift
c20 House Martin
Plenty Canada and Greylag with young
16 LBB gull >N + 1 dead in heather, no rings.
2 Red Grouse plus a few Meadow Pipits

Raggalds Flood
1 Lapwing
Sev Swallow
BS

Leeshaw and Raggalds flood

                                              2 Golden Plovers at Leeshaw

                 Curlew,Oystercatcher fly past

                                            Plenty Lapwings around

                                                      Raggalds flood, usual Lapwing

Dense fog when I set out late afternoon with an icy cold WNW>4.
Unable to see Raggalds flood so continued on to Leeshaw which was just below the cloud base but damp and miserable.
The pair of Shoveler were not to be found and no sign of the LRP after scoping the far shoreline several times.
Two Golden Plover were briefly in the ploughed field before being moved on by Lapwings whilst a male Reed Bunting made several brief appearances
Otherwise it was the usual sp. with 9 Curlew preening on the shoreline.

On my return Raggalds flood was in the mist but soon cleared but after 45 minutes watch only the usual Lapwing, 3 Pied Wagtails and several Swallows could be found.
BS