Birding from work

                     Queensbury M.O.T.  watch point.

                 Looking > W

                       Looking >SE

                          Looking > NW

                      Sometimes I,ve to peer through the chimneys

                                    Looking >N

                                 Looking >NNW  the winter thrush highway.

Just to give you an idea of the view points I have from work as you,ll keep reading my bird reports from there.
As you can see I,ve no distant horizontal vision being surrounded with houses but I have a decent all round sky vision which goes to show you can bird from anywhere and at any time. Problem here is work gets in the way but the garage doors are wide open all day and I,m in and out of the car park regular so apart from a stiff neck at tea time all works well.
Apart from that I get regular text from DJS at Calderbirds which tells me if anything is heading in my direction and the lads at Oxenhope keep me informed of movement during the vis mig season.

I,ve worked at this garage for 26 years now and clocked up 65 species including Osprey , Red Kite, several Buzzard, Peregrine, Woodcock, Waxwing, Rock Pipit , Snow Bunting plus large counts of vis mig Redwing, Fieldfare, Woodpigeon , Pink Footed Geese and Meadow Pipits.

With camera always at the ready plus the walk to and from work and a dog walk at lunch time every days a birding day for me.
BS

Gulls/ Woodpigs and Tawny Owls

        Good numbers of gulls again >E

         Large flocks of Woodpigeons >E

                    1 of 2 Queensbury Tawny Owls

         Not as well hidden on a sunny day

                   Trying to get some shut eye

                Its mate was a bit more camera shy.

A day very similar to yesterday weather wise with a bit more sunshine but not as much bird movement and no reports of Pinkies .
Gulls were once again moving well with several LBBs, at least 3 Herring and  higher numbers of Commons all moving >E.
With empty skies at lunch time over Foxhill park it was a quick dash to the Tawny Owl site hoping for them to be out in the sunshine but found them fairly well hidden.
A few pellets around now so will save them if you still want them Andy C.
1430 hrs saw Woodpigeons over the garage in big numbers, around 250 all >E probably going to a roost as Starlings were setting off at the same time heading for the warm lights of Bradford.
Donkeys years ago when I was but a wee lad of 15 I used to catch the bus by the town hall in Bradford after work and Starlings were roosting in their thousands behind the warm lights on the buildings and the noise of them was deafening. In later years nets and chemicals were put on the buildings to keep them away and now very few seem to roost there.

Thanks to all my blog viewers taking me over the 400,000 page views with an average of 2000 watches per day.
BS

Pinkies for Queensbury

      Early morning skies.  Watching for more Whoopers

                                    0815 hrs and plenty birds around

            0825 and a call from DJS Pinkies over Lee Mt >SE
      SE meant heading more or less my way. Camera at the ready!

                  0830hrs and hear they come

         Bad place for a chimney

               Join the dots.   113 ish out to the SW of me

    Changing >E and around over Black Dyke Mill.

         Away to the >E and a conifer in the way .

              Plenty big gulls on the move also >E

A real stonking morning with ideal skies from first light until mid morning when it clouded over.
On the walk to work Redwing and Fieldfare were moving around with plenty late Woodpigeons heading >S.
Big gulls were moving continuous >E , the majority being LBBs with possible a Herring or two looking at photos.
I was expecting Whoopers or Pinkies over in the conditions then at 0825hrs a grapevine call from DJS with a large skein of Pink Footed geese over Lee Mount, Ovenden heading >SE.
The SE bit was enough for me, that would bring them something near my area.
A watch from the car park , camera in hand and then at 0830hrs as I was thinking they,d sneaked past, there they were well to the south of me but just high enough to see above the roof tops.
They moved in a touch closer as they did a semi circle to change direction then disappeared out of sight over the mill >E.
Well spotted to DJS and well done for getting the message out so quick.
BS

Soil Hill late p.m.

              Heron leaving the hill

                                    Fading light on the NW summit

                                    Sunset through clouds

                                      Beyond Stoodley Pike

                         Great balls of fire

                Another weekend bites the dust

                                                Going

                                                 Going

                                                   Gone.

The last half hour of daylight hoping to find a Snow Bunting in the cold NW >4 on Soil Hill but not tonight Josephine.
The hill was quite lively though nothing special with quiet skies.
Expected a good sunset but the sun was swallowed up with cloud before it reached the horizon.

1 Heron
4 Meadow Pipit
2 Skylark
3 Grey Partridge
1 Snipe
1pr Mallard
1 Kestrel
Strange to find a Blue Tit at the top of the track on thistle tops.
BS

Tour of the reservoirs and a bonus for Leeshaw

     Bonus morning, 9 Whooper Swans >E over Leeshaw

                  Nearly missed these as still part dark

                   Plenty Cormorants on the move

                      Skies full of Woodpigeons

                                    7 Cormorant on Leeshaw

                                           Juv Cormorant

                                  Fields full of pheasant.

At last a clear but damp morning very slow to come light.
Had to wait at Lower Laithe for some light to appear before I could check the water.
First light and very dull at Leeshaw when 9 Whoopers came over very high and direct West to East.
Several Cormorants were moving, some calling in at Leeshaw.
Leeming res was the only one with shoreline but nothing special there.

Lower Laithe  0730 hrs
18 Mallard
2 Cormorant
Sev small gulls
Fieldfares over into wood

Leeshaw  0745hrs
9 Whooper Swans..........................>E
7 Cormorant
9 Mallard
1 Heron
1 Little Owl calling
1 Kestrel
200+ Woodpigeons
9 Meadow Pipit
1 Wren
17 Lapwing
usual corvids and small gulls

Leeming
28 Mallard
1 Cormorant
1 Jay
sev small gulls
BS

Beaten by the light, Ogden

                                      Last of the sun over Hunter Hill

      Gulls piling over Ned Hill to the Oxenhope roost

           A last light silhouetted Ogden.

A mild pleasant day after another wet foggy start but clearing well leaving a bright starlit evening.
With work this morning and shopping this afternoon it was 1545hrs before we got home and near the edge of darkness.
A quick dash to Ogden hoping for DJS s Wigeon but by the time I got to the waters edge at 1610hrs it was near dark with just a lot of silhouetted shapes on the water.
With no single duck out on the water the Wigeon had probably gone unless it was on the shoreline, otherwise it was just Mallard and small gulls.
On the way to Ogden I stopped by the Ned Hill track to take the sunset which just bet me but interesting to see formations of big gulls over heading for the Oxenhope roost.
Hopefully it will be a clear morning tomorrow.
BS