Yet another match abandoned.

A shopping trip to Brighouse early p.m. produced at least 2 Waxwings at Lane Head along with a few Redwing although the berries seem to have gone now. All the birds were feeding in the tall trees opposite the top Rowan.
                                     By late afternoon freezing rain was falling up here on the tops followed by snow and then rain so with most of my venues closed due to weather or Sunday public it was a good reason to cancel, and complete my latest decorating venture. Hopefully this rain will start to shift the snow and ice over the next few days.
                                                           Meanwhile, if the winter weather is getting you down heres a few upland birds taken from previous spring times that should be appearing soon.

                                   Displaying Dipper

                                         Ring Ouzel

                                            Common Sandpiper

                        Cream Crown Marsh Harrier

                                                    Whimbrel

                                                     Cuckoo

                                                       Osprey

                                            Redshank

                                        Dunlin

                                           Shelduck

                                            Sandwich Tern

                                                   Swift

                                         Pr Shoveler

                                        Snipe up drumming

                                                      Peregrine

                                                             Whinchat

                                             Red Kite

                                            Ringed Plover

                                      Golden Plover

                                           Sedge Warbler

 
                                             

                                        Grasshopper Warbler

                                                 Wheatear

                                                   Curlew

                                                 Whitethroat

                                                Linnet

All photos, B.S.

A Mixenden check then confined to Ogden a.m.

A quick check on Mixenden , which is now 80% frozen over found the usual pair of Goldeneye and 1 female Goosander which I was hoping had moved on as they are now in danger of getting trapped under the ice whilst diving. This happened to a Velvet Scoter many years ago when a pair visited Ogden and the female died after getting trapped under the ice.
                                          Ogden was , as always, busy and very noisy so as expected quiet on the birds. A full walk around the perimeter of the water failed to find the Goldfinch/Redpoll/ Siskin flock though there was plenty evidence of seeds on the ground below the trees proving that they are still around.
          Blue, Great and Long Tailed Tits were plentiful along with a pair of Bullfinch and 4 Goldcrest plus the usual Robins and Wrens but no continental Robins showing now.
                                                   A bit more water exposed after yesterdays sun but only 2 water holes holding Mallards and small gulls. Nothing moving in the sky other than a few LBB gulls.
BS.

Back to Fly Flatts, almost.

 The invisible reservoir from the top road.

                                                 100 % frozen

                                     Track fit for 4x4s only

                                          The team ready to play in the snow.

                               Frozen lagoon as well as the reservoir.

                                           Snow covered moors

1430 hrs and a drive up to Fly Flatts to suss out the situation which is far from good.
The water is 100% frozen and snow covered whilst the track is impassable apart from the YWs
4x4 with winter knobblies on. The weather was excellent with a light NNE >3 , wall to wall sunshine and good visibility at 1 degree.
                                                  A walk down the track to the water, or what used to be water, found the area void of birds without even the sound of Red Grouse. I didnt walk the west bank as I didnt want to leave the car by the top gate too long with several undesirables up and down the top road and the usual rikkers in their 4x4s.
                                             Back at the car and 30 minutes sky watching was,nt much better with just a few LBB gulls > NE and a small group of Fieldfare over the moor. The usual 2 Carrion Crow were present but no sign of the Short Eared Owl.
                                             Snow forecast for tomorrow then  milder temperatures and rain next week which it whats needed to shift the snow otherwise it will be May before the track,s fit to drive down.
Uplands reservoir check today found :-
Fly Flatts reservoir  100% frozen
Ogden reservoir      80% frozen
Mixenden reservior  50% frozen
Cold Edge, Leadbeater Dam  100% frozen
Cold Edge, Haigh Cote Dam  100% frozen.
BS

Ogden a.m.

                                       Canada geese looking lost

                                      Water hole slightly bigger this morning

Back to Ogden due to most upland sites still inaccessible due to the weather with still 80 % of the reservoir frozen over. Public wise it was quiet at fist light but by 0945 hrs it was, get me out of here fast!!! with people with spats and ski sticks piling in from all directions and the car park already near full.
      A Raven was the first bird seen high and west and this was followed at 0945 hrs by 2 more heading east which had just been grapevined by DJS over Lee Mount 5 minutes previous.
       The sun was just kissing the tops of the Alders starting to melt the upper branches but still not tempting to the passerines with 2 Redpoll, 1 Siskin and 4 Chaffinch all making a brief effort to land but moving straight back into the plantation.
      Several Mallard and small gulls were around the unfrozen pool of water whilst 2 Canada geese remained sat on the ice.
         Back in the car park a Song Thrush landed in a bush but was flushed before I,d chance to snap it.
BS
                                                         

The frozen north, Ogden.

                                                      Frozen water

                                     The last water hole

             Frozen Alders looking nice but no good for birds

                                       Robin in the snow

                                                      Dunnock

 Not often you get Robin and Dunnock feeding in harmony together

                                  Only enemy at present is the weather

1500 hrs with the fog gone and snow stopped coming down I risked a trip to Ogden where luckily Ogden Lane and the car park had been gritted so apart from the 4 way traffic lights on the main road, everything was straight forward and not too busy.
                                                       The water was 90% frozen over with just one small water hole left holding the Mallards and a few small gulls.
The west bank Alders remained frozen with again no birds present there other than a few Robins, Dunnocks and Wrens whilst 2 Siskin were mobile high up in a pine tree by passerine alley.
                                                    A steady flow of Common gulls headed high and >SW along with 3 Herrring and 5 Lesser Black Backed but no goose movement today.
                                                     Back in the car park the Chaffinch roost was at an all time low for February with just 16 present and no Brambling whilst the unusual sight of a Robin and Dunnock foraging together for food showed just how hard times are getting for them but hopefully a thaw is on its way after the weekend.
BS