Mixenden Reservoir

 

                                    Very few gulls today

A very dark wet morning at Mixenden with dense fog on the tops causing drizzle clouds on a light SW>2 at 5 degrees. 

     Yorkshire Water were working on the east bank which flushed most of the gulls when they drove on the banking first light with all but a couple of the big gulls flying off leaving just around 70 small gulls behind.

     A pair of Tufted were on the water along with 5 Mallard, a Moorhen and a Cormorant whilst the Redpoll flock were very mobile moving between the Alders and the plantation along with 2 Collared Dove and a Goldcrest.

    Hang on in there, it can only get better.

A colder, sunny day for tomorrow but still with a moderate westerly.

BS.

Leeshaw/Lower Laithe/ Raggalds Flood.

 

LEESHAW                 Rough water

                                        BH gull

                                    Several Herring gull through.

A better morning than expected, weather wise, at Leeshaw despite a strong near gale W>7 blowing at 36 m.p.h. with a few light showers and full cloud at a mild 6 degrees.

      Another of those boring blogs I,m afraid with very little about other than plenty gulls to watch. The gulls were difficult in the wind, all heading through >W very fast and low with only a few stopping off briefly on the water and none in the fields. Mainly small gulls but a good count of Herring though no LBBs.

    Very poor otherwise with just a few Redwing and Fieldfare in with a large Starling flock plus all the usual species.

    Lower Laithe held 2 Black Headed gulls on the water plus a few Mallard, a disappointment for a site which always has big gulls present.

    Raggalds Flood failed to save the morning with a dozen small gulls along with 4 Mallard. 

  Looking like a wet but calm morning tomorrow with the wind increasing again by midday.

BS

    

        

A very wet Leeshaw Reservoir.

 

                                    Around 200 Greylags in goose field

                                    Several small gulls

                                More Commons than Black Headed

                                    Dog and Gun field, all Commons

A real miserable morning at Leeshaw with rain throughout, dark clouds and mist on the tops with a S>4 at 4 degrees.

    Plenty geese to scroll through with around 200 Greylag and c 50 Canadas in the goose field and on the water along with a few Mallard but ,yet again, no winter wildfowl.

     Around 150 small gulls, the majority being Commons, but only 8 Herring moving through >W, stopping briefly on the water. Several of the Black Headed have already got their black hoods whilst some Commons are losing their head stripes and a good number of Herrings now have pure white heads.

    Understandably, in the conditions, very little sky movement with just the usual corvids and Woodpigs

whilst a single Raven was over the moor.

   On route to Leeshaw first light a Barn Owl flew alongside the car, just over the low wall, and although I wanted to anchor on it was on a narrow road and the car behind already trying to get into my tailgate so I had to let that one go. Its amazing how Barn Owl has become a regular sight from being such a rare find a few years ago. I now know of 9 sites holding Barn Owl just in my catchment area.

        Looking dry and mild tomorrow but a very strong near gale W>7.

BS

      

Bright and Breezy, Ogden.

 

                                Large Tit flock  Blue Tit

                                    Gt Tit

                                    1 of 5 Bullfinch.

         

A mixed bag of weather at Ogden early morn with some sunshine and several light showers but always windy with a moderate to strong W>7 gusting 8 at 5 degrees.

   A steady session this morning at Ogden with the usual few small gulls on the water whilst several headed >NE high overhead. The Alders were alive with a Tit flock of around 30 birds but all Blue and Great, along with a couple of Treecreepers.

     A small flock of 5 Bullfinch were in the waterside trees but only a quick show of the Redpoll flock which seemed reluctant to settle in the heavily swaying trees, so they disappeared back to the shelter of the plantation. 

    Its looking like these strong winds are with us now till at least the end of the month and plenty rain to come.

BS

      

Leeshaw Reservoir

 

                                   Another quick Queensbury sunrise.

                                    Big gulls arriving

                                    Several Herrings through >W

                                    LBB with Herrings

                                Centre Herring much darker mantle

                                    Head looked like YL Herring but pink legs.

                                            probable 'argentatus'

A decent start to the morning at Leeshaw with full cloud and light showers on a SW>4 at 5 degrees then heavy rain by 0945 hrs and wind increasing.

    Other than a distant pair of Teal and several Mallard it was all down to gull watching with a constant

flow of gulls through, mainly continuing straight through >W whilst some settled briefly on the water before moving on. Plenty Herrings among the Black Headed and Common but only a low count of LBBs and no GBBs. 

    A good check through for Iceland, Caspian and Med gulls to no avail, the best I could find was a much darker mantled Herring gull with a head which looked good for Yellow Legged until it lifted out of the water to reveal pink legs so I,m assuming argentatus Herring.

    The wind peaking at midnight tonight but looking like a very windy do over the next 3 or 4 days.

A text and video from MC in Oxford at his local patch with 912 Pintail, wintering Dunlins and 100s of other ducks, then nearby, more Dunlin, 1 Ruff and c 400 Goldies, and I got excited with 1 Pintail this year and 1 last year!!

BS

Ogden, windy and very icy.

 

                                Early warning sunrise.

                                    Very icy promenade.

                                BH Gulls riding the waves.

A bright red ball sunrise but very soon extinguished with full cloud, drizzle and a strong SW>5 at a milder 2 degrees with some thawing.

     Very little time this morning so just a check on the water at Ogden and a walk onto the west bank Alders. Very slippery across the promenade where the drizzle had washed the snow covering off leaving solid ice and making it harder being pulled by 2 dogs and a strong wind blowing.

      Just a handful of small gulls on the water as well as the Mallards with several gulls overhead >NE, possibly from Mixenden which has now got a roost going, though possibly only while the water is frozen.

    The Tit flock was moving through the waterside trees with the 4 tit species plus Goldcrest and Treecreeper whilst 8 Redpoll and 2 Chaffinch were in the Alders in very dark conditions.

      Not a good forecast for the next few days with a forecast of a life threatening storm with a silly  name thats going to destroy anything in its path ! Broken down into Queensbury language, its going to be windy but a good drying day fo't weshing.

BS

       

Another gull day at Mixenden reservoir.

 

                                    A good Queensbury sunrise.

                                    Not quite as many gulls as yesterday

                                Once again, all tightly packed in.

                                A big fella at the back. GBB

                                Taken in heavy snow and mist.

                                The GBB flushed he gulls as it came in

                                    Soon settled down again.

                                    GBB was constantly mobbed

                                    Herrings

                                    GBB

                                    Soon left >W

                                         Under investigation, see notes below.

                                Several Redpoll plus a few Siskin

                                    No chance of photos in the area and conditions.

A nice sunrise as I headed to Mixenden reservoir but this soon gave way to heavy snow showers moving over in banks of mist on a NW>3 at minus 1 degree. A few clear patches in between the showers but by 0930 hrs the snow was looking serious and the roads covering so it was get back to Queensbury while I still could.

      Another good gull morning though less than yesterday with around 250 small gulls along with 4 LBBs and 15 Herring. Good to see Dan B scoping the gulls looking for a GBB, and ironically, 15 minutes after he had left the gulls blasted off before settling again, the cause being a belting adult Great Blacked Gull which dropped down onto the ice at the back of the gulls towering over them.

     The bird was constantly mobbed and after flying a couple of circuits and re-landing again it set of climbing high and west.

     The last gull photo above was an interesting one being LBB sized with pink legs but too small for a GBB yet too dark mantled for a graellsii LBB. Its head was well streaked and I can only put this down as LBB intermedious which has retained its pink legs. This is possibly the same pink legged from yesterday though the bright sun on yesterdays bird made it look lighter and browner mantled. I think a Baltic fuscus would darker than this and photo not good enough for any details.

     A few Mallard on the water as well as a male Tufted whilst around 12 Redpoll and a couple of Siskin were on the usual Alders.

    A bit milder tomorrow at 3 degrees with a threat of rain and a moderate sou'wester.

BS