Leeshaw Reservoir

                          Oystercatchers up to 16

         Breeding over for most of the Lapwings

                                           A busy shoreline

                                  Curlews more relaxed now
                        with most chicks grown.

                  Still some late Lapwing chicks

1500 hrs at Leeshaw with a mix of cloud and sunshine with a W>5 blowing.
                                                        A busy shoreline today with post breeding Lapwings now beginning to regroup on the shoreline or in the fields with several grown young amongst them.
The Oystercatcher count is up to 16 now and usually get up into the high 20s.
                                                                Curlew and Snipe are now settling down to feed in the fields without having to worry about their young whilst the breeding Redshanks seem to have moved on.
Across on the north shoreline gulls were gathering with 32 LBB, 12 BHG and 2 Herring with no sign of returning Commons as yet but a steady move of Black Headeds was apparent  all >W.
                                                            Swallows, Swifts and House Martins fed over the water whilst the usual resident species carried out their daily routine.
BS
                                       

A second Common Scoter for the area. Mixenden

 Male Common Scoter on Mixenden with Canadas
             Photo from top road.

                                  As usual the Scoter stuck to the middle of the water.

  second one in 2 days for the area.

1430 hrs and a trip to Fly Flatts to get the Nyjer seed down for over the weekend with good weather conditions, for me anyway, with 100% grey cloud cover, light drizzle and wind reduced from yesterday to W>5.
                             Much quieter than yesterday with the usual species around the shoreline whilst 4 Dunlin were busy feeding young dashing to and from the shoreline to reed beds on the edge of the moor. A walk the full length of the west bank failed to produce any moving Common Scoters with yesterdays bird moved on. With water and sky quiet I decided to head back to Mixenden reservoir to check out DJSs drake Common Scoter which he reported there this morning.
                                                                    I knew it was still present as on the way to Fly Flatts I stopped at the top of the hill above the reservoir and after a short scan I was able to pick it out in with the Canadas. The Scoter was hanging around the Canadas and doing the usual trick of keeping right out in the middle of the water making hard work of the photography, especially being a jet black bird against a light background. All quite otherwise apart from several Swifts, Swallows and House Martins. Once again, all credit to DJS for turning up his second Scoter in as many days.
BS

1st Common Scoter arrives at Fly Flatts

                                            1 of 6 Dunlin

                                     1 of 9 Common Sandpipers

  Fluffy Common Sandpiper chick

                                        Non flyer as yet

  Star of the show, female Common Scoter

         Plenty juv Pied Wagtails around

                                 Waves and White Horses.

Man on a mission....  Fly Flatts 1445 hrs with the weather back to normal thankfully with 100 % dark cloud cover and near gale force W>6 - 7. Half way through the watch the clouds broke up leaving
50% cloud cover and some sunshine with the wind decreasing to W>5 which kept the temperature down.
After a text this a.m. from DJS saying he had spotted a Common Scoter on Fly Flatts that had to be the target bird although looking at the size and speed of the waves it was a needle in a haystack job.
                                                       Fortunately there were no Windsurfers present so that gave me a little more hope but several scans of the rough water came up with nothing.
Rather than jump in with both feet dashing along the banking I decided to stick to my usual routine firstly checking the SE corner which was alive with Dunlin and Common Sandpipers along with several other species. Next it was check the lagoon and the south shoreline again producing more Common Sands.
On then to the west bank checking the cobbles also bringing in the feeding station which today was void of birds. Regular scans of the water still failed to turn up the target bird until I was nearly at the NW corner when a black dot was seen bobbin about in the waves and frequently disappearing out of view way out in the centre as is usually the norm with Scoters.
                                                                  Laying down just below the banking I was able to get out of the wind and get some shots just on the range limit but the well suited birder grin appeared with mission accomplished .
Well spotted to DJS for this mornings sighting, a species I,ve been expecting and scanning for daily. Hopefully more will follow.
The longest day is over now, 21st, so make the most of evening birding.

1f Common Scoter
9 Common Sandpiper + 1 juv + a 2nd thats still hiding from me
6 Dunlin
2 Oystercatcher
1 Redshank
4 Snipe
3 Curlew
2 Herring Gull
4m Reed Bunting
2 Barnacle geese + usual sp.
Tons of Swifts feeding over the water
BS

Thwarted by the fire brigade.

               Now thats what you call disturbance  

 I would nt mind them pumping it out
but they squirted it back in again.

   May as well forget this venue today.

                Meanwhile, over the tops to Leeshaw.

              Oystercatcher count up to at least 15 adults.

                           Oxenhope Little Owl.

1515 hrs and arrived at Fly Flatts only to be stopped dead in my tracks when half of the West Yorkshire fire brigade were on my favourite shoreline. With no point in continuing further it was a scan of the water then over the moor to Leeshaw reservoir where things did,nt improve much with that annoying red hot sun burning down and very little breeze. Where was that rain shower that I got caught in at midday whilst walking the dogs in Foxhill.
                                                                    Making the best of a bad job I scanned the water, skies, fields, moorland and shoreline in a bid to save the afternoon but, remembering its a hot still day in June, nothing happened other than the regular species.
Oystercatcher numbers are still rising with at least 15 present with possibly at least 1 pair tending young on the hidden south bank shoreline.
Gulls were gathering on the northern shoreline with 42 LBB, 4 Herring and 7 Black Headed but no sign of the returning Yellow Legged from the previous 3 years as yet which will be near to adult plumage this time.
A day of rain showers promised for tomorrow which may kick start the job a bit.
BS

Fly Flatts weather back to normal.

                                    Common Sandpipers

             Doing the walk on water display

 Another odd thing they do with their eyes.

                                       Juv Greylags coming on nicely.

                                       Distant Snipe.

At last the weather was back to normality at Fly Flatts today when I arrived at 1530 hrs for a 1 hour session.
The sky had 100 % grey cloud cover with low scud clouds damping in the cool SE>4. Horizontal visibility was good but limited overhead. What I call ideal conditions with no sign of blue sky or sunshine and best of all, not a soul in sight. What a weirdo I hear you say!
                                                          The whole area is buzzing with wader activity though only the regular species with Common Sandpiper, Redshank, Oystercatcher , Dunlin, Snipe and Curlew.
It was interesting to watch Common Sandpiper displaying with the pair flying around madly and taking turns at running along the surface of the water. A ritual I,ve never really noticed before.
Most of  this species already have young but not managed to get a pic yet as the parent bird calls as you walk along the banking and the young disappear under the shoreline stones.
                                                             Very few gulls present with a few LBBs and 2 Herring gulls and a fly past of a single Common gull heading for Oxenhope.
The water just held the usual Canadas along with the 2 Barnacles, the Canada goose count now reaching near on 400 birds much to the disappointment of the lads at the sailing club as they have all the mess to contend with when they come ashore in the compound. They will disperse late summer but the sailing season will be getting near the end by then.
Still no Terns or Scoters as yet but I must be getting near to another mega sighting by now.
BS