Snow showers at Fly Flatts/Ogden

 FLY FLATTS         Stonechat in the snow

                                    Resident Blackbird

                                    Just 2 Ringed Plover today

                                    1 of 5 Reed Bunting

                                    Still 4 Oystercatchers present

                                Unusual visitor, Grey Wagtail

                                Snow heading my way over t'moor.

 

OGDEN                    Great Crested Grebe in summer plumage

                                    Song Thrush

A cloudy morning at Fly Flatts with blasts of fine snow showers and a low cloud base on a NE>3 at 1 degree.

            Similar species to yesterdays visit with the addition of a single Grey Wagtail, not a common bird up here. Only 2 Ringed Plover today but still the 4 Oystercatchers present along with 2 Stonechat and the resident Blackbird.

          The little group of 5 Reed Buntings were moving around the compound area but otherwise just down to the usual Canadas.

           Ogden had died a death mid afternoon with just a handful of small gulls and a Gt Crested Grebe on the water whilst a Song Thrush was at the top of a pine tree but remained silent. The west bank was again bird less.

BS

Pinks and Oyks, Fly Flatts/Ogden.

 

FLY FLATTS            4 Oystercatchers present today

                                 2 m 1 f Ringed Plover

                                Strange place for a Blackbird

                                  White Greylag from Leeshaw

                                Pinks >NW far to the south of me.

                                    2 skeins, 56 and 75

OGDEN                    2 Oystercatchers back

                                    Few Common gull as well as Black Headed

                                    2 Herring gull on the water

A calm clear morning at Fly Flatts  with a light ENE>2 at 2 degrees and full cloud.

              Waders were the bird of the morning with 4 Oystercatcher, a single Curlew and 3 Ringed Plover. A Raven and Kestrel were overhead whilst 4 Greylag and the Leeshaw white Greylag were across in the NW corner as well as the usual Canadas.

             Only 2 Stonechat and a, now resident, Blackbird were around the compound but good to get 2 skeins of Pink Footed geese over >NW well to the south of my position.

             A mid afternoon check of Ogden produced 2 adult Herring gull in bright summer plumage along with the usual Black Headed and Common on the water.

           The 2 annual Oystercatchers were back in their usual position by the overflow whilst a Grey Wagtail was down in the sluice gate area.

BS

First o t'month. Leeshaw.

 

                                A good morning for Herring gulls

                                    Just a single Lesser Black Backed

                                    several Curlew present

                                    as well as Oystercatchers

                                    Distant Buzzard way over the Sladen Valley.

A reasonable morning weather wise at Leeshaw with a light but cold NE>3 at 3 degrees with sunshine and showers breaking down mid morning to leave the rest of the day wet and windy.

              An active morning throughout the watch and a better morning for gulls with several Herrings as well as a single LBB plus the usual Black Headed and Commons. Its strange how Herrings sometimes appear whilst other days are absent, even though the weather is exactly the same.

              Several Curlew and Oystercatcher were in the fields and around the waters edge whilst noisy Lapwings filled the sky. A single Buzzard was high over the moor top but nothing else skyward other than the locals.

            The 2 pair of Teal were still under the distant shore with 2 Cormorants on the water whilst a small group of Stock Dove were in the big field among the Canada and Greylag geese.

LEESHAW

15 Herring gull

1 Lesser Black Backed gull

c 100 small gull

14 Curlew

18 Oystercatcher

c 200 Lapwing

2 Cormorant

2 pr Teal

5 Stock Dove

1 Buzzard

+ usual sp.

BS