A Magical Hour at Fly Flatts.

                                     Dunlin invasion

                                        At least 16 present today

                                    Swifts piling through >N

                                        Dunlin bath night

                                  Overdone it with the soap suds.

                                                   Getting out of its depth

                                  Outnumbering Common Sandpipers now

                                               What amazing little birds.

Late afternoon at Fly Flatts in conditions that were 100% perfect for me and the birds.
The area was just below the cloud base with the tops of the turbines in fog but enough depth of sky showing for fly overs. With 100 % light grey cloud cover on moderate NE> 5 at 22.6 mph and damp with fine drizzle the setting was perfect.
                                                             The minute I got out of the car and was tackling up it was apparent that the birds felt the same as me with the sky and shoreline alive with movement.
Swifts were piling over on two levels. some skimming the water whilst others were high up in the edge of the fog. I estimated over 200 birds all slowly heading >N .
                                                            Herring and Lesser Black Backed gulls headed >NE into the wind throughout along with around 80 Lapwing in the same direction.
Snipe, resident Lapwing, Curlew and Redshank were noisy in the air, probably all with chicks on the moor.
                                                           The shoreline was unbelievable with several Mipits and male Reed Buntings by the waters edge and waders were everywhere, Dunlins now being the dominant wader outnumbering the 11 Common Sandpipers present with a record count of 16.
5 Dunlin were in the SE corner along with 2 in the boat compound whilst 8 were near together in the SW corner and another single on the west bank.
All these birds so far look to be moving through sticking to the shoreline whereas usually breeders spend their time moving between the water and across onto the flat moor.
                                                            An exhausting hour trying to take it all in whilst scanning all the shoreline carefully for anything special but one of those one in a hundred visits.
BS

Halifax Birdwatchers Club 2016/2017 Report

If anyone is wanting an up to date report on the birds seen in the Calderdale area over the last 2 years Nick Dawtrey has just released his publication which is made up of all bird sightings throughout the area sent in by Calderdale birders including several colour photos.
                                                                          With 122 pages containing maps of the area, the Calderdale species list and 8 pages of colour photos this is an excellent addition to your bird library and one that can be used for reference throughout the year.
This report can be bought at the Go Local store, Woodlesford newsagents Pellon Lane about half a mile above Queens Rd traffic lights or contact the group from the link on my blog. The price is a snip at £6.50 and well done to Nick for the endless hours of time he,s put into it.
It was pleasing to see my Fly Flatts Great White Egret on the front cover, thanks for that Nick.
BS

Looking back at June 2017

I had to admit defeat this afternoon and abandon my pm birding session with Bobbys grooming appointment falling at a bad time where I had to pick him up at 1530 hrs right in the middle of my bird time. At least it gave me chance to catch up on a million jobs leaving me clear for tomorrows tea time bash and Fly Flatts would have been busy with boats in the hot sun so I didnt feel too bad.
                                                        To fill the blog gap I,ve taken you back in time to June 2017 with an idea on what to look out for during this month. Its usually a quiet month but things do turn up as you can see from the pictures below.

                Male Common Scoter Mixenden 23/6/17

                        Female Common Scoter Fly Flatts. 26/6/17

                                  Fly Flatts Dunlin June 2017

                                   Always Willow Warblers to fall back on

                        Little Ringed Plovers move through in June

If you,re a bit nocturnal you can go hunting
                                        Long Eared Owls

                        with the young ones hunger calling.

               These are all local birds from around the area.

BS

Sunday morn at Fly Flatts.

                        1 of 10 Dunlin.

 Curlews back in the air now with young hatched.

Early doors at Fly Flatts with blue skies and sunshine pleasingly clouding over mid watch with a light NW >4.
            The shoreline in the SE and SW corners is looking splendid now and becoming more exposed daily but no unusual visitors as yet with just the 3 species of small waders with a count of 10 Dunlin, 7 Common Sandpiper and 5 Redshank. Target birds now being Sanderling, Little Ringed Plover and Turnstone without being too unrealistic.
                                                           Two seperate Cormorants came over very high and >NE which was encouraging knowing something is on the move meaning we should be starting to get Common Scoter reports anytime now.
Several Swifts over >N along with Swallows and House Martins but no Sand Martin for me yet this year.
BS

Fly Flatts in the fog.

  Strange this year how all the goslings are staying
         in groups sometimes with only 2 Canadas
                    watching on.

            Found this SEO lurking in the fog whilst scanning
                            for a calling Cuckoo.

Late afternoon and Fly Flatts was right on the lower edge of the cloud base with rolling fog like smoke over the water and moor. One minute you could see 50 yds and the next minute 10 yds though the temperature was nice and fresh in a damp W>4.
                                                              Boating day today though very few boats out  in the mist so stuck to the south and west shoreline which was lively with a minimum count of 11 Dunlin, some very lively zipping over the water whilst other more settled birds were along the cobbled west bank along with Common Sandpipers and Redshank. No Sanderling or Little Ringed Plovers as yet but my turn will come I,m sure.
                                      A Cuckoo was calling over the moor and sounding as if I should be able to see it but scanning the moor was frustrating with the fog coming and going.
One thing I did manage with a scan was a SEO sat on a post before heading off west towards the ridge disappearing into the fog. I never did get to see the Cuckoo .
                                      Despite a lot of Canada goose eggs being destroyed down the valley this year by persons or authority unknown there are around 110 Canada goslings on the water split into groups of around 30 and adults seemingly taking turns at keeping watch on them, a practice I havent experienced before.
                             Unfortunately I can,t put blog watcher John Kayes good lady wife and daughters mind at rest about the little yellow bath tub duck as it isnt with the Canadas now but all is not lost as it could possibly have reunited with the other 2 brood which have moved into hiding beyond the lagoon but I,ll keep you informed.
Hopefully the fog will have cleared for the morning with rain forecast so I,m living in hopes.
                                                             And finally, I cant go a day without a mention of nuggets so heres another nugget story.  Whilst driving up to Fly Flatts I was talking to DJS on the phone, built in car phone I hasten to add, about a car parking problem that Dave had just encounted with a nugget at his end near Mixenden and we were talking about how it was getting worse around our countryside being unable to leave the car parked safe whilst birding  with an influx of nuggets.
Five minutes later I arrived at the top locked gate at Fly Flatts to find the padlock chopped to bits with bolt croppers . Apparently a walker had witnessed this with scramble bikers that had come illegally across the moor to the locked gate so they conveniently took out their bolt croppers, that we all carry with us!, and chopped off the lock to get out onto the road.
                                                          It seems like there can be several gates and wire fences blocking their way across the moor so they come prepared. NUGGETS !
BS

Ot and Orrible. Fly Flatts.

                                             Meadow Pipit enjoying the water

          This  brown Peregrine woke the locals up

                                  Escorted out of the area with Lapwings

                      Sorry, more Dunlin pics but you,ll
                            miss em when they,re gone.

A real hot and sticky late afternoon visit to Fly Flatts with 23 deg and hot hazy sunshine on a light SE>3.
Apart from 3 west bank walkers I had the place to myself so no nugget moan today.
                                                           Most of the upland species seem to have young now spending their time in the air squabbling amongst themselves whilst watching over their new born on the moor below them. Things were quiet in the conditions with 7 Dunlin , 8 Common Sandpipers and 4 Redshank as well as Curlew, Lapwing and the usual geese.
                                                            The Canadas are taking their chicks down the banking to graze but when anyone is approaching they have to dash back up the banking, over the track and down into the water but if there are off the lead dogs they can,t get back in time and I have found 4 dead now near to the water obviously from dogs as any other predator would have taken them.
                                                       Whilst in the SW corner everything went up in the air and a Peregrine appeared from nowhere overhead making me struggle to get a few half right shots before it was quickly ushered away with Lapwings and Redshank.
                                                             With plenty tempting shoreline now and reports of Little Ringed Plover and Sanderling close to home its a matter of wait and see what appears over the weekend.
Swifts were feeding until last light yesterday over Foxhill  for the first time this year and this morning several were piling over Queensbury all >NE, theres going to be some late breeding this time so we may see them here longer than usual.
BS