Up with the Wheatears, Fly Flatts.

 

                                    Over 20 Wheatear present

                                Autumn plumage

                                    Still in moult

                                        Juv   

                                    Greenland, long legged, very colourful.

                                    Bright supercillium.

Contrary to todays horrendous weather forecast Fly Flatts was quite pleasant even though it rained steady throughout the watch, which I am no no stranger to. Full cloud on a light ESE>2 at 10 degrees with the mist keeping over the moor to the west of me.

      A real lively morning for small passerines with the place alive with Meadow Pipits, Reed Buntings and a minimum of 20 Wheatear, one of which stood out as being a long legged, butch looking bird with much deeper breast colouring, as the Northerns, which went right down to the base of the tail. I could,nt manage a rear view to count the primary tips although this method of i.d. can be inconclusive, I,ve had Northerns with 6 or even 7 tips. The date is a little early as Greenlands are usually last through in mid September but I have had them at this location in the past in early August.

There is always chance of ' Intergrades' but I,m not going there.

           Otherwise it was down to a few Swallows over the water plus a couple of LBB gulls >NE.

The good news is, with the overflow doing its job, I,ve some slight areas of shore starting to appear so hopefully the dry weather to come in the next few day, as well as the valve open, I should have enough shore to invite any passing waders down, especially as most reservoirs are still full so the waders are not spoilt for choice as they were last year.

BS

             

Leeshaw, Lower Laithe, Dog and Gun, in the rain.

 

LOWER LAITHE                1 of 4 Herring gull

                                    c 40 LBB

Another morning with fog on the tops and Leeshaw once again just below the cloud base with rain and drizzle on a very light NW>1 at 15 degrees.

             The light breeze and warmer temperatures brought out the midges in swarms so after a dog walk it was not the place to hang around plus the area was bird-less other than the usual geese, 2 Heron along with a few Mipits and House Martins.

    Dropping down into the Sladen Valley found conditions a little brighter at Lower Laithe with a decent show of gulls with around 40 LBBs, 4 Herring, 12 Black Headed and 2 Common. No sign of the Yellow Legged Herring picked up recently by K.M. and B.V. which is a different bird to the Dog and Gun bird.

     The Dog and Gun field on the way home was a disappointment with around 80 gulls airborne but dropping down into a distant field just over the brow of the hill and out of sight.

BS 

    

Fly Flatts, passerine morning.

 

                                   Wheatear, 1 of c10 present

                                Juv Whinchat.

                                Water gushing down the overflow

                                    Outlet to overflow. Track submerged.

                                    Lagoon full to the brim

                                    Shore well gone SE corner

                                    South bank

                                    Boat slipway under water

                                    Yesterdays wet clothes out to dry.

A bright sunny morning at Fly Flatts with blue skies and sunshine on a NW>4 at 13 degrees.

         Small passerines were the bird of the morning with a minimum of 10 Wheatear along with a juv Whinchat. An adult male Pied Wagtail was present but the 6 juvs seem to have moved on now whilst  single Willow Warbler was in the lagoon tree.

     The family of 3 Oystercatchers were on the west bank cobles where a juv, brown Peregrine was sat on the banking top briefly. Just 2 LBB gulls over >SE, otherwise, quiet skies. Just a few Swallows over the water but have,nt had a Swift for 2 weeks now.

BS

Bring on the gulls. Leeshaw/ Dog and Gun.

 

DOG and GUN            Yellow Legged Herring gull

                                    Herring and LBBs

                                    Herring with facial moult.

DOG and GUN yesterday.

                                

                                 Sub adult Caspian.

                                Dark bullet hole eye, pear shaped head, pink legs.

As expected, dense fog on the tops this morning with Leeshaw just below the cloud base but very heavy rain and drizzle throughout. The fog was courtesy of a light E>2 at 13 degrees.

                 A surprise to get 2 Common Sandpipers below the dam wall on the cobbles but otherwise just the 3 hirundine species over the water plus the usual geese. 

         The plan for this mornings trip was to check the gull field again after yesterdays Yellow Legged Herring, where the above dark eyed gull stood out in the same group of birds. After checking photos etc plus a text query I believe this gull to be a sub adult Caspian. 

       It has the correct pear shaped head with a long sloping forehead and the small dark bullet hole eye which is rarely seen on adult Herrings. It had pink legs but being in the grass I could,nt get a sighting of the Tibia which is noticeably longer on Caspian. The gentle expression on the face is described as being reminiscent of a large Common gull, rather than the fierce look of a Herring gull.

It also has the characteristic full, high breast bulging to just below the throat.

     Hopefully I,ll bump into this bird again to get some better shots, particularly the wings as there is always chance of  a hybrid.

    With the chance of waders very slim over Aug/Sept, due to high water levels, its going to be down to wildfowl and gulls over the next birding period. 

BS

A good start to August. Y.L. Herring.

 

                                    LBBs and Herrings

                                Yellow Legged Herring, michahellis

                                    Good selection of gulls

                                    sub adult YL Herring

                                Showing slight brown on greater coverts and tertials.

Another morning of heavy drizzle on a moderate W>4 at 12 degrees and low cloud base with thick fog on the tops.

                I could see from home that there was no visibility at Fly Flatts so a trip to Leeshaw in hopes of gulls and/or Terns moving through. It was just below the cloud base but heavy drizzle restricted visibility somewhat though, as with all reservoirs, the water is up to the overflow with just a few patches of shore.

            No waders present with even the Oystercatchers gone and nothing on the water other than Canadas, Greylags and Mallard whilst a Heron was on the far bank.

        All 3 hirundines were over the water with Swallow, House and Sand Martin whilst several Meadow Pipits were along the banking. Disappointingly, only 2 LBB gulls came over >W, otherwise very quiet. 

        By 0930 hrs, wet through and losing the will to live, I up stumps and headed down into the Sladen Valley for a look at Lower Laithe where there was,nt a bird in sight, which is normal for me at this venue.

       Driving home, feeling very despondent, I suddenly got a change of attitude when the Dog and Gun gull field had a good flock of big gulls present. A scan through produced 73 LBB, 5 Herring, and there in the middle, partly hidden away, was a cracking Yellow Legged Herring gull. 

     I moved to a better position where I could see it clearly, though distant and in heavy drizzle, but now I could be certain it was a YL. I,ve been fooled in the past thinking a Herring had yellow legs when it had been stood among LBBs and I,d been looking at the legs of a LBB close behind it.

      It just shows how a birding trip can change from bad to good in an instance.

Rain and a light easterly for tomorrow spells fog!

BS