More Crossbill pics from yesterday

  To show the distance, this was an uncropped photo through a 400mm lens.

Hopefully these birds will hang around and next time come a bit closer if there is no disturbance from the plantation. Always thought that Crossbills chomped on the cones whilst fixed to the tree but watched them yesterday and as DJS commented, they rag the cone off then carry it to the top of the tree to dig in to it. The problem is the sun brings the birds out but also the crowds, its being selfish I know but the best birds at Ogden were in the days when it was permit only and even further back when you had to snook over the wall without the warden seeing you.
A beautiful spring like day today but still with a cool breeze showing clear blue skies though nothing moving in them. Was working out in the car park a while this p.m. so got chance to keep an eye out expecting a raptor of some sort but it never happened.
BS

Ogden Back Lane saves the day.

                                   

                                    Siskins flitting through

A bright sunny afternoon but thick mist clouds to the west.
Arrived at Ogden Back Lane fearing the worst as Ogden itself was like Alton Towers with crowds of folk and screaming kids.
When I got to the plantation a family was running around in the plantation shouting and bawling throughout which drove the birds to the bottom edge hence the distant photos.
Three Crossbills showed after 15 minutes wait but briefly so I settled down and waited. After 30 minutes 9 Crossbills came out of the plantation and onto the lower fringe but remained very flighty. The males kept carrying cones to the top branches before hacking in to them whilst the females remained lower down making it impossible to photograph them at that distance.
Suddenly a flock of finches came into the north end and worked their way down the plantation feeding as the went. The majority of them were Siskin but Redpolls, Goldfinch,Greenfinch, Chaffinch and tits were amongst them.
My 4th visit for Crossbills had finally paid off.

9 Crossbill
20+ Siskin
5 Redpoll
6 Goldfinch
2 Greenfinch
Sev Chaffinch
5 Coal Tits
2 Gt Tits

BS

Fly Flatts/Leeshaw Reservoir

0645-1015hrs  

What started off to look like a cracking morning at Fly Flatts quickly deteriorated as the wind increased to WNW >6 gusting 7 and the mist rolled in from the west fogging the area out by 0715hrs.

To add to the problems the farmer was working by the Twite feeding station and a couple with 2 off lead dogs managed to flush everything in sight.

In a bid to rescue the morning I moved on to Leeshaw reservoir where things were much livelier but as expected  yesterdays Shelducks had moved on. See Dannys birds.

The icing on the cake was when I got home I found Id knocked the dial on the camera so all the photos were bright and out of focus!.

Fly Flatts.

11 Curlew

6 Red Grouse

28 Canadas

3 Twite, briefly

1 Snipe.

Leeshaw.

18 Canadas

11 Greylag

14 Curlew

2 Oystercatchers

1 Cormorant

26 BH Gulls

4 Common Gulls

1 Herring gull

9 Lapwing

5 Mallard

3 Meadow Pipits

BS.

Shelf Moor

                                          The old Lion Gates, Shelf Moor

After a damp misty start the day improved  with clear skies and sunshine but a cool W>5.
A quick scout around Shelf Moor late p.m. produced a Green Woodpecker calling beyond the Lion Gates whilst 72 Woodpigeons were in the hawthorn field with 1 remaining Lapwing.
A small group of 6 Fieldfare were in the car boot field along with 2 Mistle Thrush.
On the edge of dark I drove around all the well known Little Owl sites including Shelf Moor rd, Green Lane, Corporal Hill and Paw Lane but no Little Owl to be seen, looks like its going to be a bad year.
BS

Low cloud, drizzle and gulls

A miserable dank day with low cloud and drizzle most of the day with only gulls to break the empty skies.
Yesterdays Magpies had moved through today much to the relief of the resident pair guarding their nest in the park
Three early Herring gulls started the ball rolling first thing this morning with another 5 throughout the day all >W whilst LBBs and Commons moved over >NW, the largest flock of LBBs being 9 in V formation looking like pinkies until they got nearer.
A single probable GBB gull went over mid p.m. very high and also >W but without optics I couldnt be sure although the size and jizz of it plus the direction looked right.
Hope everyone has a good weekends birding and the weather is kind to us.
BS

Queensbury, Magpies and Mipits

                                                   Magpies in Foxhill.

A cool SW>4  today with cloudy skies and very murky to the east but remaining dry with another starry moonlit sky tonight.
Meadow Pipits have been moving over today all >N and NE but only in twos and threes and very high. I counted 23 whilst I was walking to and from work and 2 Pied Wagtails headed east, again very high in moving mode.
An influx of Magpies was apparent at midday with 15 counted around Foxhill park where usually there is just the one resident pair.
Got a report today of yet another Woodcock flushed down the old station along with 2 Snipe and 2 Roe Deer.
BS.

Viewers pics.

Kingfisher

Heron

A couple of photos from EGP kindly sent in by a local girl and blog watcher Tracy Collier who keeps me informed of bird news around the area. Thanks for those Tracy.

BS

Sunshine and Showers, Queensbury.

A wet start till mid morning then bright skies and sunshine apart from a few very heavy showers, unfortunately the heaviest was as I was dog walking up Foxhill park midday. A strong WSW>5-6 throughout the day dropping after dark leaving a clear starry sky with a real bombers moon.
Gulls were the order of the day with a steady flow of LBBs >NW  and 2 lots of 3 Herring gull >W.
Eight Common gull were in the park midday along with 6 Black Headed and yesterdays fall of Chaffinch had moved on.
Many thanks to David of Yeadon who found me through the blog and texts me with reports of whats showing on Yeadon Tarn as he walks his dog there.  Last week a Bar Headed goose was present which may be the one that was in Lister Park in February ( see Dannys birds ), also this bird has been seen on Redcar Tarn so if its the same bird its moving around a bit.
Today David sent me a photo to my phone of a cracking male Mandarin duck on the Tarn on what looked like very rough water. Unfortunately I can,t put the photo on my blog from my phone but if you want to send any camera photos by e mail I,ll gladly show them.
BS

Queensbury Today

Another spring like day after a heavy frost first thing . Much warmer today with the strength of the sun now being felt.
Most of yesterdays gulls had moved on today leaving 5 Commons and 6 Black Headed, 3 of which had a full black hood.
Several pairs of Chaffinch were around the edge of the park which is an unusual sight for Foxhill but this has happened on previous years and just as you think they are getting established they move on.
Magpies, Rooks and Crows are all busy nest building in and around the park and in Chapel Lane graveyard whilst 2 pair of Blackbirds have established their old nests in the conifers at the garage.
Quiet skies today with no sign of movement.
BS

The plight of the Twite

                                  Twite, a real upland bird.

                                   The Fly Flatts feeding station.

Hopefully this year will bring a good number of summer Twite to the area with 6 birds already arrived at an early date. Up to 1994 Twite numbers and sites were good  but after 1995 many sites were lost completely and bird numbers fell dramatically then holding steady until 2008 after which numbers declined at Fly Flatts each year even with regular supplies of nyjer seed being put down to try to encourage them back to the area.
Breeding has been proved in the Calderdale area so it shows is it possible to get the numbers back up to what they were 18 years ago.
In 1994 Fly Flatts had a maximum flock count of 150 Twite with regular groups of 40 + which also applied to many sites around the area. Leeshaw reservoir over the hill was Bradfords stronghold for Twite with regular 3 figure numbers and now there are none.
These are some maximum count figures for Fly Flatts over the years :-
1994..............150+                      2004...............28
1995..............70                          2005...............20
1996..............20                          2006...............25
1997...............40                         2007...............20
1998..............11                          2008...............35
1999...............30                         2009...............23
2000..............25                          2010...............14
2001..............38                          2011...............11
2002..............10                          2012...............6 just arrived
2003..............30

So if you find yourself braving the elements and heading for Fly Flatts just slip a handful of nyjer seed in your pocket to sprinkle up there and lets try get Twite a common sight on our moors once more.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch things have been rather quiet apart from the cold spell getting the gulls active again with 22 Commons and 5 Black Headeds in Foxhill midday and a steady flow of LBBs over >NW with just 1 Herring gull seen heading >W.
What a sickener when following a lousy wet Sunday the sun comes out daylong on Monday when we,re back at work!
BS

Back Lane revisited

                                      Silhouetted Cormorant

                                  Missing primaries, left wing

                 Clearing under the table, Rabbit and Moorhen

                          Heron on frog watch

Arrived at Back Lane, Ogden 1445hrs just in time to see the end on the rain / snow with brightening skies but a cold NNE >4.
As Ive said before, Crossbills and me just dont get on and I have never had chance to get a half decent photo and today was no exception . After trekking around the plantation and standing on the horse path for over 1 hour nothing, then suddenly 3 flew over from the Giants Tooth only to drop down deep into the plantation and out of sight.

1 Cormorant.......................................>NE
1 Herring gull......................................>W.
3 Crossbill
1 Moorhen
2 Pheasant
2 Curlew
2 Heron
+ usual Chaffinch etc
BS

A reet good dowsing but wuth it. Fly Flatts

Fly Flatts   0645-0915hrs.  Heavy rain throughout  with a W>4 until 0900hrs when the rain eased and turned to snow. By 0915 hrs thick fog came across the moor putting an end to it. Lovely stuff!

For the first hour the whole area was void of birds other than Red Grouse but got a hugging of nyger down and persevered on to the NW corner still with nothing but did hear 2 Curlew up in the low cloud. As I got back to the feeding station a ray of hope appeared in the form of 5 Twite coming in to the buildings then straight down on to the seed until a couple with 2 off the lead dogs let them run straight through the seeded area pushing the birds back over the moor towards Dean Head.
A Pheasant has hovering about near to the seed and 3 Greylags came onto the water annoying the Canadas.
Despite the horrific weather an enjoyable morning.

5 Twite
2 Curlew
8 Canadas
3 Greylag
4 Red Grouse
1 Pheasant
2 Meadow Pipits.
BS

Shelf Moor, last light.

                                Rainbow from Foxhill

                                      Last remaining Lapwings.

A grey damp morning followed by a bright sunny period midday finishing with a torrential rain shower p.m.
Just managed to miss the heavy shower when out up Foxhill which left a bright section of rainbow over Baildon Moor.
A last light visit to Shelf Moor found just 12 Lapwing remaining at the roost which were hard to see and even harder to photograph in the fading light.
Several Woodpigeons were in the same field along with 12 Magpies and 50+ Starling.
At least 4 Fieldfare were at the far side of the field but the usual Redwings had moved on.
Worrying to note the absence of the resident Little Owl which hasnt been seen since before winter.
Even more worrying is the forecast for tomorrow but we shall see.
BS

No Buzz today

                     Wren taken through a mucky garage window.

                                      Corvid on Buzzard watch.

A day very similar to yesterday, calm and bright with milky grey skies to the east.
Isnt it strange how a birders mind works, I havent had a fly over Buzzard sighting like yesterdays in Foxhill park for 45yrs but still expected to get another when I went up there at lunch time today. I didnt of course, just a few Common gulls over >NW and a single Herring gull very high and >W.
Hopefully Sundays snow forecast won,t materialize  so I can get some Nyjer seed down for the returning Twite at Fly Flatts, see Queensburybirder report, and get some of the new summer arrivals in the area.
BS

Dinner break with a Buzz

A beautiful spring like day with calm conditions and clear blue skies although the view to the east was milky grey haze.
Dog walking during my dinner time up Foxhill park was quiet with no gulls now present and very little about so despondent I headed towards home when the Corvids in the trees started calling noisily and looking up I saw what I thought was a corvid sideways on and fairly near to me. As it veered slightly I realised it was a Buzzard which had come from the east but as always, seemed to appear from nowhere until it was over me and motoring on. By the time I had stopped swearing and got the camera on it the bird was a good distance away heading >WSW but managed a few record shots.
Should be easy to ID with the missing right wing primaries if it shows up elswhere.
A mega rare sighting for Foxhill and a good garden tick.
BS