Lock down Blues.

 

                                        Early sunrise over a locked down country.

                                           Emley Moor mast 8 miles away

OGDEN                            sev  Black Headed gulls

                                                 Calm and part frozen water.

                                                 Passerine alley.

With the lock down in force stating 1 exercise outing a day and not to go out of your local area, translated as not to leave your village or part of town or city that you live in, it doesnt leave much scope for Queensbury which is in the fog 6 days out of 7 and very few workable habitats, especially at this time of year.

                    Hoping the poor conditions kept the crowds away from Ogden I risked it and was surprised to find it very quiet public wise although come brighter weather it will be a non venture unless they close the car parks as they did last time.

                     A walk around the circumference of the part frozen water found very few passerines other than the usual Robins, Wrens, Dunnocks and Blackbirds, and even the two sets of feeders were void of birds.

         The Kingfisher was down in the sluice gate area which pleased the Fly Flatts YW official who was working on the prom and had,nt seen one before.

           The water held around 50 small gulls as well as the usual Mallards with nothing in the air.

                         No shopping trip today and no afternoon birding session so by late afternoon I was pacing up and down like a caged bear and climbing the walls and its only the first day. Lynda says I need a project whilst we are on lock down which usually comes in the form of decorating.

                      A quick walk over Foxhill at tea time, despite the once a day rule, as you can,t tell 3 dogs that they can,t go out because they are on lock down.

                      A rethink for tomorrow as neither me, or you reading the blog, can stand 2 months of Ogden.

BS

One of those struggling birding days.

 

LEESHAW                 1 of 2 distant Dippers in the overflow

HORTON BANK TOP              Gulls on the frozen water

LITTLEMOOR PARK                  15 Greenfinch a rare species these days.

Another dark ,cold icy morning after overnight snow. A light NE>4 with cloudy skies at 1 degree.

                                                              Leeshaw was very quiet this morning with around 100 small gulls , 8 Mallard and a Cormorant on the water with no signs of yesterdays Teal and Wigeon.

                                                           The 2 resident Dippers were up in the top of the overflow, possibly with the beck running too fast to feed in. Plenty corvids but no Buzzard today. 

                                                   Mid afternoon and with Fly Flatts still inaccessible due to ice I made a bad move by going to check the gulls at Horton Bank Top CP which was almost completely frozen over 

leaving just a small area of water crowded with Coot, Moorhen, Mallards and Mute Swans whilst the Gt Crested Grebe and Tufteds had left. 

                                                   Just a handful of small gulls were on the ice along with 4 2 cy Herrings which soon left through disturbance. The walk down and back up the track there is lethal with hard packed ice from top to bottom.

                                       A stop off at Littlemoor Park on the way home checking for Brambling failed to find any but a reward of 15 Greenfinch, a disappearing species in this area. Otherwise there were several of the usual Tits , Chaffinch etc.

                                     More snow forecast for tomorrow on a NE wind and already the fog is creeping in this evening.

Leeshaw

2 Dipper

1 Cormorant

8 Mallard

c 100 small gulls

Horton Bank Top CP

Moorhens

Coot

2 Mute Swan

Mallards

4 2 cy Herring gull

+ usual sp.

Littlemoor Park

15 Greenfinch

sev Chaffinch, Coal, Great, Blue Tit, Blackbirds etc

+ usual sp.

BS 

Wigeon for Leeshaw a.m./ snow for Mixenden p.m.

 

LEESHAW a.m.        Bright skies after leaving the fog at Queensbury

                                   This Buzzard was given away by noisy corvids.

                                        Shame its not a Rough Legged.

                                   Wigeon across the far side of the water.

                                         A nice new year species.

MIXENDEN                         1 of 2 ad Herring gull

                                       Black Headeds of the east bank.

Dense fog on the tops as expected this morning with a NE wind forecast but amazingly Leeshaw reservoir to the NW was clear and bright with a light >NE 3 at 1 degree.

                                                   Much quieter this morning up to yesterday but plenty to see with a nice surprise of a pair of Wigeon on the water in with the Mallards. No big gulls today with around 150 smalls plus 2 Dippers down in the beck but very mobile.

                                                   As I was watching the beck the corvids started creating a couple of fields away and a scan found a Buzzard on top of a telegraph pole which I would have missed if it had not been for the corvids. This was presumably the same bird as yesterday that was on the dam wall.

                                                   Mid afternoon at Mixenden was grim with the clear skies gone and dark clouds over on a NE>4 bringing heavy rain, sleet and snow showers.

                                                    Just 5 big gulls with 2 ad Herring, 1 ad LBB and 2 1st winter Herring which are now 2 cy birds. Around 150 small gulls were on the water along with 5 Mallard and the usual Goldeneye. A check of the hedges, north and south produced no passerines in the conditions and the Ring Necked Parakeets havent shown for a few days now.

Leeshaw

c 150 small gulls

1 pr Wigeon

1 Teal

1 Cormorant

8 Fieldfare

12 Mallard

Gt Tit

Blue Tit

Wren.

Buzzard

2 Dipper

+ usual sp.

Mixenden

2 ad Herring

2 1st winter Herring

1 ad LBB

c 150 small gulls

1 Goldeneye

5 Mallard

BS

A reet good days birding, Leeshaw/Mixenden.

 

LEESHAW                          Dunnock copying the Stonechats it was with.

                                  A reservoir full of geese and gulls

                                     Teal way across on the far bank

                                                        Herring

                                          Distant Buzzard on the dam wall

                                                Gulls did,nt seem too bothered

MIXENDEN                    Star bird Great Black Backed.

                                          Showing pink legs.

                                       1 of 4 Lesser Black Backed

                                     1 of 5 Herring

                                    Herrings, winter and summer plumage.

                                       No winter streaking on rear Herring.

A beautiful morning to be out with wall to wall sunshine and blue sky at Leeshaw at -2 degrees on a light NW>3 but still treacherous walking on the hard packed ice.

                                                   One of those rare mornings where everything just fell into place with the full flock of Greylags on show in the big field before landing on the water, 2 Stonechat showing briefly as well as a Dipper plus a single Teal on the far bank. This plus a good variety of species as well as several gulls back in the area whilst the icing on the cake was near the end of the watch when all the geese suddenly lifted off from the water as if spooked by something but I couldnt see what.

                                               A look at the gulls by the valve tower revealed a brown bird on the distant dam wall which I thought was a 1st year gull but when scoped it turned out to be what had flushed the geese , a Buzzard, the first I,ve ever seen on the dam wall .

                                               Mid afternoon and a check on Mixenden reservoir in worsening conditions with a NW>4 and very heavy blizzarding snow showers which turned to continuous snow.

                                              As I climbed the banking a cracking adult Great Black Backed gull lifted off the water , flew a circuit then off >SW. Around 200 small gulls were on the water as well as 5 Herring and 4 LBBs, one of the adult Herring had a bright white head still in summer plumage with no winter head streaking.  

                                   A full walk around the reservoir left me looking like a snowman but I managed to catch up with the single,long staying Goldeneye along with 3 Mallard.

                                  By now the snow was looking serious and the roads covering so time to get out of there if I wanted to make it home. Cars were already stuck up Whitegate but I managed to keep going and get past them, surprising how you always get one that slows down to a near halt half way up a hill stopping the job. It was the same story going up the bonnet from Bradshaw but luckily nothing was coming down so I managed to sail past them on the wrong side of the road otherwise I,d have been stuck half way up.

                             Despite all that, a brilliant days birding.

With more snow forecast for tomorrow and no sings of a thaw I dont know how long it will be before I can get back to Fly Flatts.

Leeshaw

2 Stonechat

1 Dunnock

1 f Teal

235 Greylag

81 Canada

7 Herring

c 200 Small gull

4 Fieldfare

1 Heron

28 Lapwing

1 f Goosander

1 Buzzard

1 Dipper

+ usual sp

Mixenden

1 GBB gull

4 LBB gull

5 Herring gull

c 200 Small gull

1  Goldeneye 

1 Wren

1 Robin

+ usual sp.

BS

                                         

Checking out the gulls. Leeshaw/Ringby Top/ Roper Lane.

 

LEESHAW                         Part of the Greylag flock moving field to field.

RINGBY TOP                                 female Pied Wagtail

                                                  Male Pied Wagtail

ROPER LANE, QBY.                 Common gull

Interesting wing markings. Suspect 2nd winter bird with black wing tips as far

    as P4 and subterminal black markings on inner primaries and coverts.

                                                           Correct me if I,m wrong.!

                                                Adult Herring

Decent conditions for the first trip of the year with a light W>3 early morn turning N>4 mid afternoon.

Full cloud cover with a slight thaw at 2 degrees but treacherous walking with the snow melting on top of the ice.

           Gulls were starting to return to the fields at Leeshaw but mainly Commons with a few Black Headed but no big gulls. Goosanders were down to 3 pair whilst the Greylag flock was up to 210 making an amazing sight as they all blasted off from the field and passed overhead making a tremendous noise.

           Ringby was very quiet with no gulls in the fields and just a few fly overs. A pair of Pied Wagtail were present along with 2 Meadow Pipits.

           An early finish on the top and off to Roper Lane where a few gulls were moving around over the top fields but, here again, only 2 Herrings. The farmer has been muck spreading a large field off Roper Lane but so far it has failed to attract any gulls.

          Raggalds Flood held 28 Lapwing stood on the frozen water as well as 16 Black Headeds.

Leeshaw

210 Greylags

33 Canadas

3 pr Goosander

2 Mistle Thrush

1 Dunnock

38 Common gull

27 BH gull

+ usual sp.

Ringby Top

2 Lapwing

1 Kestrel

2 Mipit

1 pr Pied Wagtail

8 Common gull

2 ad Herring.

+ usual sp.

Roper Lane

1 ad 1 1st winter Herring

29 Common gull

Sev BH gull

2 m Pied Wagtail

+ usual sp.

BS