Soil Hill

Umpteen Linnets all over the hill

Very mobile flock of 100+ with other smaller flocks

Several juv gulls through

Ive told Nigel and his mates from the con. club to stick
to the path.

A blustery Soil Hill pm but bright sunshine. W>5
Linnets were everywhere with the main flock of 100 + and several small break away flocks very mobile and stopping to feed for a few minutes then off again to another spot.
LBB gulls were coming through >W into the wind and Swallows still continued to move >S through the col but in much less numbers than this morning. No signs of Swift.
Checked the bottom end of the hill around the dried up pond but no passerines.
BS

Swallows on the move

Very few LBBs this morning

The result of a dog on the shoreline

A comfy position for this Common gull

Down the valley towards Mixenden

0730-1000hrs
Fly Flatts once again had to be aborted due to thick fog , rain and drizzle.
Ogden was better weather wise though quiet with only 4 LBBs amongst the gulls and little else about.
A walk up towards Withens Gap found Swallows piling over >S with odd House Martins mixed in but no sign of Swift.

Swallow..................................300+ >S
House Martin.......................8 >S
78 Common gull
118 BH gull
4 LBB gull
1 Kestrel
+ usual sp.
Beware of black duck on Ogden which was on its own in the middle and nearly had me going for the phone!
BS

Pics from Fly Flatts yesterday

Pic to confirm DJSs comments on Calderbirds yesterday
Shoreline quickly disappearing

Scud moving across the moor

Canadas off to roost
BS

Fly Flatts evening visit

DJSs Common Scoter

Very few LBBs about

3 of 4 very blurred Wheatears in bad light

Found myself with an hour to spare tonight so shot up to Fly Flatts for DJSs drake Common Scoter which after convincing myself Id dipped I found it but very distant views as it stuck near the NE banking.
Three Curlews were mobile on the shoreline and 4 Wheatear were at the southern end but by this time the rain was moving in with almost black skies.
Only 3 LBBs were on the northern shore before moving >E leaving Daves poor LBB with the broken wing on the far grass bank, hope it has sense to get on the water before dark!

The unglorious 12th, hopefully the fog and rain today will have kept the sad men with guns away from the moors, if they have to shoot
something they,d be better off shooting the rioters and looters and leaving the innocent birds alone, get a life saddos.

1 Common Scoter
4 Wheatear
3 Curlew
1 Common Sandpiper
4 LBBs
+ usual sp.
BS

Foxhill today

Yet another day of low cloud and drizzle with mainly empty skies apart from the, now usual, gulls moving about.
Two noisy Herons went over >NE on my way home from work but reasonably low so probably local birds.
An interesting wader call at 1915hrs tonight over Foxhill park but the bird was up in the mist and sounded to be heading > NW towards Ogden, TMR or Fly Flatts. Possible Whimbrel as kept starting the 7 whistle call but fell short after 4 or 5 notes. Could have been a juv Curlew I suppose but didnt sound right so if anyone turns up a Whimbrel in that area tomorrow its mine ? Keep an eye out for Nigels green legged Common gull also.
BS

How areas differ

A customer rang me today from Wilsden asking why, this summer, had he been over run with House Martins yet had very few Swallows. All the usual Swallow breeding sites were mostly left unused but its been the best year that he can remember for both breeding and feeding House Martins.
Around Queensbury this story is reversed with no shortage of Swallows but a noticeable absence of House Martins. Nests that have been used year after year have been left empty this season and I think I have only seen a handful of birds all summer.
Nothing doing up here in the gods today with a howling wind and heavy rain and drizzle none stop.
BS

Queensbury Today

A bright warm day but still a strong wind which had veered WNW>4 midday.
A Sparrowhawk visited the front garden today whilst I was at work but unfortunately Lynda chased it away from her sparrows instead of going for her camera. See Andys Northowram blog for some good garden Sparrowhawk pics.
Common gulls had increased to 5 in Foxhill park midday along with 2 Linnets on the top pitch.
Up to 100 gulls past the house >NE each evening at last light heading in the direction of Chelker reservoir.
BS

More pics from Yesterday

1 Black Headed amongst Commons

LBB moving over

Linnets fill the skies, Soil Hill

A day of strong W>5 winds and heavy drizzle improving p.m.

Very little of note today with the winds keeping birds down although it was a suprise to see 3 Herring gulls over >W midday.
Common gulls are starting to use the park again with 3 present at lunch time along with 2 Pied Wagtails.
Is it just me or have Grey Wagtails been thin on the ground this year? I think Ive had 2 all summer.
BS

Soil Hill

A good supply of Linnets

Frustration for SC amongst the poppies trying to film.

Gulls on Raggalds flood

Soil Hill 1630-1800hrs Strong W>5 sunny.

A quick call at Raggalds flood found several small gulls back after the days football then on to Soil Hill, where the sky was fairly quiet due to the strong westerly with a few gulls through the col and several Swallows >S along with 1 Swift.
On the summit I bumped, into or was nearly blown into, Steve Cummings trying in vain to film the Linnet flock, now up to c80 but very flighty even being put up by passing gulls and pigeons which didnt amuse Steve. I told him it would be less stressful filming Mallard at Ogden but he persevered and hopefully got what he wanted.

Raggalds Flood
39 Black Headed gull
28 Common gull

Soil Hill
c80 Linnet
4 Skylark
12 Meadow Pipit
1 juv Pied Wagtail
1 Kestrel
17 LBBs ..................................>S
43 BH gull..............................>S
29 Swallow............................>S
1 Swift ...................................>S
BS- SC

Sunday morning washout

Raggalds Flood this morning

No YL gull at Ogden

Heading for Mixenden

Most Black Headeds now lost summer plumage.

0730- 0930 hrs Strong SW 5-6 Heavy rain throughout, low cloud on the moor.

A disappointing morning with Fly Flatts covered in low cloud and horizontal drizzle whilst heavy frequent showers followed me around Ogden. Raggalds flood had a good collection of gulls first thing but no sign of the Yellow Legged at any of the sites.

Raggalds Flood
57 Common gull
123 BH gull
1 LBB gull

Fly Flatts
4 LBB gull
5 BH gull
+ usual sp.

Ogden
7 LBB gull
56 BH gull
29 Common gull
Beware of pale mantled LBB present this a.m. which is not a Y.L.
+ usual sp
BS

Shelf Moor

Canada roost building up well now near pond

Dispersion, This hybrid just turned up in next doors tub.

Canada Geese numbers are increasing in fields near Shelf Moor pond now with 48 present tonight at 1800hrs.
A few Linnets were on the wires and plenty Swallows were over the fields. Several Goldfinch were on the thistles in the hawthorn field.
LBBs were moving over >NE along with Black Headed.
BS

Out and about

Sun going down over the Arc and Pendle Hill from Wilsden

A tranquil scene above Wilsden

End of the day, towards TMR from Well Heads.

The weekly trips to Heaton via Wilsden came to the end tonight as the uncle Id been looking after over there sadly died and tonight I finished off the house emptying and locked the door on his rented cottage for the last time.
Time consuming as it was Im going to miss the trips over there where some good birds have been seen on the journeys there and back. It seemed like the end of an era tonight as I looked out across Pendle Hill.
Very little of note tonight other than hundreds of Swallows over the fields above Wilsden and some good flocks of Goldfinch about.
BS

Its all happening now

A great movement day with Queensbury hitting the headlines thanks to NKs efforts on another hot sticky day, see Queensburybirder for full report.
This evening several Alba Wagtails were moving >E over Shelf Moor and at one point the sky was full of BH and LBB gulls drifting in no particular direction, some low but some very high and nearly out of site.
A skein of 28 Canadas came low overhead which were local birds coming to roost in fields by the Shelf Moor pond but unfortunately I had a paint brush in one hand and a tub of Cuprinol in the other instead of the camera.
Later on the way home there were 42 Canadas together in the field by the pond.
BS.

Queensbury Today

The local Blackbird reared 3 young this season.

Another close clammy day but with occassional heavy downpours.

A small party of 4 Swifts came over >S this p.m. just ahead of the first heavy shower and between that and the next downpour Swallows took to the air in good numbers probably taking the flies that had lifted in the rain.
LBB and Black Headed gulls are now moving around more and Commons are starting to be seen with 3 on the football pitch today. How come the 3 football pitches in the park are always empty during the school holidays ? We used to have to get up early to claim a set of goalposts, thats when we wasnt birding of course. Think all the kids must be indoors these days playing computer games, seems like a waste of youth to me.
Well, we,re into August now so anything could happen and will do very shortly, watch these local blogs.
BS

Bit of Sky movement

A flock of 24 Mistle thrushes were moving >W over Keelham and Soil Hill this evening at 1930hrs and good numbers of very high Swallows all >SW moved over Foxhill park at 2030 hrs, the latter probably being a feeding party.
A single Curlew went >W over Chapel Lane at 0730hrs this a.m.
BS