Fly Flatts / Ogden

                          Plenty Long Tailed Tits at Ogden

   Nice flock of 7 Siskin

               Pics taken in poor light

                  Usual small gulls present

                                        1 Cormorant over >W

             First light at Fly Flatts

                          First and last sighting of the sun

                           Horrendous conditions

                             Lining up

0745hrs at Fly Flatts to find horrendous conditions with a near gale force wind NW>7 and ankle deep in snow with the road nearly as bad.
1 f Goldeneye on the water and a few small gulls was the full amount so off downhill to Ogden.

Ogden was calm though dull and treacherous walking, especially with 3 dogs strapped to your belt.
A nice flock of 7 Siskin were in the Alders along with the usual tit flocks whilst the whole area was alive with Long Tailed Tits.
The water held just the usual small gulls and mallard whilst a Cormorant went overhead >W.
A large Mink was down at the bottom of the overflow.
BS

Coley Church, Northowram CC, Shelf Moor, Littlemoor Park.

        Plenty Blackbirds in the field at Northowram

                                   Skies full of Jackdaws

                                  Few Chaffinch at Coley but no Brambling

                                  Sun creeping down behind Foxhill.

Some light overnight snow and a heavy shower a.m. then a mixture of both sunshine and grey skies.
Was hoping to do Ogden but the time I got free it was 1500hrs with Ogden barriers locked at 1600hrs so a quick change of plan.

First stop Coley church which had plenty Jackdaws and small gulls in the fields and a good flock of Chaffinch in the hedges but failed to produce Brambling. The large flocks of winter thrushes present last year have failed to materialize this winter so far.

Northowram CC hedge was poor today with just 2 very mobile Reed Buntings although as I arrived a car came up the drive flushing 4 Sparrows which flew across into gardens before I could check for Tree or House.
The field there held at least 11 Blackbirds and a Mistle Thrush.

A pull into the lay by at Shelf Moor was enough to see snow covered and frozen fields and no birds and due to the lateness of the hour I didnt venture to the juncus field in case any Snipe had just settled to roost there.

Littlemoor Park was active in what was by now near last light with the usual resident passerines.

BS

Some highlights from February 2014.

With another grey ,misty day in Queensbury after a night of heavy freezing just the usual resident stuff were around ,but with a change for the better from late afternoon with a strong S>5 and heavy rain hopefully the snow will be well clear by the weekend.

With February a week away here,s some snaps from Feb 2014.

                       Queensbury Buzzard

           Swan lake,  Mixenden Whoopers

  Mystery swan watchers,  oh its Dave and Jen.

  Record shots of a fast moving Soil Hill Woodcock.

                     Shibden park Kittiwake

Hope the weekend,s kind to us.
BS

Queensbury,Birds in the snow

              Starlings waiting to be fed

                  More Foxhill wintery scenes

    Several Blackbirds around.

        Small flocks of Blue Tits high in the tree tops

                    Collared Doves moving in to the feeding areas.

A grey and misty day but mild and no sign of snow with a slight thaw but moving the snow very little.
Very limited sky visibility with the low cloud with just the resident gulls moving around.
Several Collared Doves are venturing into the gardens in need of easy food whilst small Blue Tit flocks check out the trees and hedges for anything going.
12 Blackbirds were counted in the hedges alongside Foxhill park at lunch time, these being mainly females.
Hopefully some or this snow will shift for the weekend.
BS

Queensbury, how it snowed

                               The snow village, Chapel St

                                       Chapel Lane

                                    Walking up into the fog

                                             Junction, Chapel Lane/New Park Rd

                                              Bleak, Chapel Lane top

                                             White out

                Walking home tonight,   Sharket Close

                                           Chapel Lane  bottom

                                   Passing the Willows medical centre

                                       Dog walking, New Park Rd

                               Heading home down New Park Rd

Clear walking to work at 0745 hrs then the snow started getting heavier throughout the day.
By mid morning Brighouse and Denholme Rd by the garage was blocked with 8 wagons stuck whilst traffic kept moving slowly on the High St.
The main Queensbury to Shelf Rd was blocked for a while by the trailer park when a wagon jack knifed and did a roll ending up with its wheels in the air.
Foxhill was shrouded in fog at midday so all in all its been a real mess.
Dog walking tonight found it drizzling slightly so hopefully a thaw is on the way.
BS