Raggalds Flood back in the running.

                     Raggalds Flood filling well

  No pot of gold at the end of this rainbow
                 Just 1pr Mallard

                   Enough water to float a duck

                               Bring on the Wigeon and Teal

With no vis mig this morning in the strong to gale force wind it was a quick dash up to Raggalds Flood to check the situation at lunch time.
The water is rising well and already attracted a pair of Mallard as well as 2 Pied Wagtails and 1 Grey Wagtail.
4 Common gulls flew in as if to land but moved on again.
Foxhill at midday held 11 Common gulls and 3 Black Headed.
A good day of rain now will top up the flood nicely.
BS

Red Ball sunrise brings short lived Vis Mig

             This mornings sky, from Chapel Lane

                       Behind Black Dyke Mill

                                 From Sourheads

    Before the sun got any higher it was gone

       Foxhill Common gulls relaxing

          Proud of its new winter head gear

A bright red ball sunrise usually indicates a promising vis mig morning which it did today but was soon scuppered when the rain came at 0930hrs.
I could see the sun coming up but the cloud approaching  so at the risk of being wiped out it was a quick dash across the High St , which is no mean feat at 0730 hrs, then down Sourheads to try for a position to snap it but before it cleared the house tops it was clouded out.
There was plenty movement of Woodpigeons in the first hour and 1 flock of around 80 Fieldfare followed by 2 smaller flocks of 25 and 34 Redwing, all heading >S.
By 0900hrs the clouds rolled over bringing rain and stopping the job.
Lunchtime found 28 Common gulls all relaxing in Foxhill Park which was unusual as they,re usually busy feeding.

Nothing in the skies over Queensbury p.m. although 2 reports of Pink Footed geese came from Calderbirds and a customer with probably the same skein over Brighouse and Halifax >W.

An interesting report this evening from KM via HC of a single Dotterel in with the gull roost at Oxenhope , hopefully it will end up on Soil Hill.
This could possibly be the same bird that has been sighted with Golden Plovers at Ringstone ?
BS

Shelf Moor

A badly timed visit to the Shelf Moor trailer park got me there the same time as a heavy drizzle shower blown across on a near gale SW >6 gusting 7.
At least 8 Snipe were present though lying low in the strong wind. Three were in the trailer park field with the others in the juncus field which is well overgrown at the moment giving good cover. As they started to leave to head for the roost site across the road I was ready for some snaps but the wind took them past at about 100 mph so back home with an empty camera.
Two fields nearer Cross Lane held around 60 Lapwing and c200 Starling feeding in the grass along with a few small gulls.
On decent days now the Snipe will start showing in the open fields and should build up to a decent count which peaked at 48 on Dec 8th 2013.

Some of last years Snipe

BS

Fly Flatts washout / Ogden

       The long staying Little Grebe at Ogden

             Plenty Goldcrest flocks

             Long Tailed Tits grouping well

                        Countless Robins but not continentals

           Little Grebe getting some stick from the gulls

Arrived at Fly Flatts just as daylight was breaking to find horrendous conditions with a near gale force WSW>7 and horizontal driving drizzle sweeping across the moor in banks cutting visibility to a few yards so again I had to abort and head lower down to Ogden where it was sheltered and quite pleasant.
The water held just the usual small gulls, 2 LBBs and 1 Gt Crested Grebe as well as the long staying Little Grebe which was getting some unmerciful stick from the gulls.
Passerines were healthy with good flocks of LT Tits and Goldcrests as well as decent numbers of Robins, Blackbirds and Wrens.
Again no signs of visible migration which is now getting late in the season.
BS

Soil Hill / Ned Hill Track

          Looking across the Causeway Foot col to Withins

                          The Ned Hill track

                                             Common gulls moving through the col

           Explosive clouds over Foxhill last light.

Its amazing how a slight change of wind direction and a small rise in temperature can effect bird movement. Yesterday morning the skies were buzzing with winter thrushes, woodpigeons and finches whereas this morning the skies were completely empty. Even the Oxenhope lads pulled stumps and knocked off early with nothing moving.
A trip to Ogden to check the water late afternoon today proved a bad idea as even at 1600hrs the place was heaving with more cars than Brighouse auctions. After a good 10 minutes of shouting and swearing trying to even turn round, never mind park, I managed to get back out of there and head for the peace of Ned Hill track and Soil Hill.
A quick look on the summit just found the usual Meadow Pipits, Skylarks and a couple of Lapwings so back to the Ned Hill watch point to see what was moving through the col.
Common gulls were plentiful all heading >SW into the strong wind  whilst 3 Kestrels were up making use of the wind coming up the hillside.
A short billed Curlew flew over the turbines >NW getting me thinking but it politely called dismissing any thoughts of Whimbrel.
Otherwise it was down to a few BH gulls over Ogden, probably trying to find a space to land in, and a distant group of 5 Canadas flying across the sun towards Fly Flatts.
Sounds like it,s going to be a blustery morning but at least it will keep the fog away.
BS

Queensbury ,And how they came !!

             Winter thrushes invading Queensbury

    Fieldfare early then Redwings later.

 An amazing start to the morning with Fieldfare piling over from first light on my way to and at work making me think that this was going to be the mega Fieldfare day but the move filtered out mid morning meaning the big push is yet to come.
Redwings took over until near mid day and Woodpigeons were moving throughout.
Greenfinches were coming over >S by the bucketful along with a few Chaffinch and a small tight flock of 11 Siskin.
Late afternoon a Sparrowhawk skimmed low across the car park complete with one of our resident House Sparrows.
Good to talk to Bradshaw John this morning at the garage.

Vis Mig Several missed as working at the same time as dashing in and out of the garage.

c 1000 Fieldfare................................>S
c 600 Redwing.................................>S
c 300 Woodpigs..............................>S
c 40 Greenfinch..............................>SW
    4 Chaffinch.................................>SW
    11 Siskin.....................................>SW
BS