Where,s the sky gone ?

                                   Foxhill Park at midday

Does anyone know if the sky,s still up there because I have,nt seen it for 4 days now on the top of this hill although a customer today told me it was lovely down in Brighouse.
Dense fog has hung on every bit of the day without attempting to clear even in the middle of the day.
This weather seems to give the garden House Sparrows an appetite as I have to top up the feeders morning and lunchtime as well as renew the fat balls. Up to 30 sparrows are visiting at a time now and seem happier since I moved the feeding station from the front to the back garden where so far no Sparrowhawk strikes have been seen with much more cover for the birds.
Surely this fog won,t continue over the weekend.
BS

Fogged out again

A beautiful red sunrise this a.m. lasted about 15 minutes before it was blanked out with yet more dense fog which lasted most of the day clearing to mist over the lunch time period.
More Fieldfares were moving >S around midday again skimming low and fast over the buildings with a couple of Redwings seen in amongst them.
Common gulls peaked at 32 today in Foxhill Park and a Meadow Pipit along with  a Pied Wagtail was unusual on the top pitch.
Hope this fog does,nt continue through the weekend
BS.

Red Skies on a foggy day

                                         

                                 

                                     

                                           

                                   
                                 



About 2 hours of grey dull skies midday today sandwiched between morning and afternoon fog.
Several Fieldfares were moving over >SW during the day skimming the rooftops in an attempt to keep below the cloudbase. These will probably have been established birds brought down by the fog.
Roll on those crisp frosty, clear mornings.
BS.

A foggy Queensbury

A test shot in the fog
 House Sparrow in garden

Dense fog all morning clearing to mist early afternoon then back to thick fog again.
A single Pied Wagtail was in the park at midday along with 25 Common Gulls and 6 Black Headed otherwise sky searching was like looking into pea and ham soup, hope it was clearer for birders down in the valley.
BS

More Woodies on the move

A bright start to the morning which quickly gave way to cloud and drizzle then dense fog by soon after midday which stayed for the rest of the day.
The big Woodpigeon push continued from first light this morning all >S and ceased by about 0915hrs. Around 400 birds came overhead which is about 350 more than I got yesterday when I was out birding, I,ll have to stick to working, it produces more birds.
Although there was a keen white frost this morning the local birds are acting as if it were spring with 2 Robins squabbling all day for territory and singing their hearts out and a House Sparrow in the garden has been carrying nest material into the ivy all day. Dont know if its nest building or making its roost better for winter.
BS

Fly Flatts/ Ogden

Bright and sunny with a cold N>3 wind and birdless skies.
First birds of the morning were a group of 20 Wigeon >SW over Fly Flatts but dont know if they came off the water or just fly overs but from there on it was downhill.
The massive Woodpig movement reported missed my area completely with just a few seen to the east.
Three squadrons of Starlings headed >NW and the water held 11 BH gulls and 5 Commons,
otherwise a few Red Grouse were present.
By the time I got to Ogden every man and his dog was there and apart from a good number of small gulls and 1 m Goldeneye that was it.
To make matters worse I was experimenting with a new camera and didnt get 1 photo worth showing, better get the manual out again?
BS

Queensbury Today

                                         Night sky from Jackson Hill with Swalesmoor and Ringby
                                  on the horizon, the ski slope is lit up to the left of the picture.

A busy morning with an unexpected move of Thrushes, Pinkies and Whoopers along with early morning Woodpigeons.
Pinkies and Whoopers unfortunately avoided me at work despite a phone call from HC at Oxenhope with word that 37 Whoopers were heading towards me. A dash into the car park with camera at the ready then another call from HC to say they had veered off at the last minute and turned down the Calder Valley.
Woodpigeons came over >S in half decent numbers early doors and several flocks of Fieldfare, the largest consisting of about 60 birds.
Hopefully the fog will keep away from Fly Flatts in the morning and Ill have to try get on Soil Hill pm to try for Nigels Snow Bunting.
BS

Wet Start, Wet Finish

A terrible morning with heavy rain and mist clearing up by late morning leaving a real spring like afternoon only to return to heavy rain again after dark.
Woodpigeons were on the move from late morning ,through midday and on until the early afternoon which is unusual as Woodpigs move early and are generally finished by 0900hrs, probably a weather related thing with the rain and mist first thing.
A suprise over the garage early afternoon was a Snipe very high heading >E.
Hope there,s no Redwings shot down with the fireworks this weekend.
BS

Queensbury Today

A deteriorating day with rain by pm though very mild for November.
Gulls stole the show today with a steady flow of LBBs all morning >NW and a group of 3 Herring Gulls >W at midday.
Foxhill park held 28 Common gulls and 11 Black Headed, also at midday, and unusually 2 Lapwings were on the rugby field.
A Sparrowhawk was in the front garden Hawthorns this afternoon until Lynda saw it and went out with waving arms to move it on whilst the House Sparrows watched on in delight.
BS

Queensbury Today

A dull misty start then brightening only to turn dull again for the rest of the day and rain by early evening.
A scattering of Meadow Pipits came over >S first thing along with a few Redwing which looked to come up out of the old station roost.
Two Herring gulls flew over >W at midday along with 11 LBBs and 17 Commons were in the park.
For the second time this week I was only 1 mile away from a mega sighting, again from NK at Soil Hill who has now moved on from waders to Snow Buntings with a count of 5 up on the summit. His full report can be found on Queensburybirder, well done Nigel, another cracking record.
BS

The art of bird photography

all copyright.

A mechanic that has a garage across the road from me, Ken Wood, brought me these photos of the Kingfisher which he took last week, not sure of location , but he was watching the bird fishing so stood quiet until it came within a few yards of him. Cracking photos taken with a 300mm zoom, Many thanks Ken

All quiet in the village today other than a few Fieldfare over and apart from the hot news from DJS, Calderbirds of a Swallow over his area.
BS

Queensbury Today

A dull windy day S>4-5 but remaining dry.
Very little in the skies today making it feel like Vis mig has drawn to a close. In the old days of Oxenhope watching we used to end the watch on the first Sunday in November when it becomes impossible to tell movers from established birds such as flocks of Fieldfares seen moving from roosts to feeding grounds etc.
Watching now will be switched to local waters for winter wildfowl and passerine flocks such as Goldcrests for Firecrest and Chaffinches for Brambling , Redpoll for Mealys and so it goes on, theres always something to look for in birding, no forgetting the white winged gulls of course.
Having said all that all Ive had today is a few Fieldfares over early morn and the usual Common gulls in the park midday although less than 1 mile away Nigel was watching Grey Plover and Greenland Wheatear on Soil Hill, see Queensburybirder for his full report.
Ive also lost one birding watch now as on the walk home from work at 1715hrs its pitch black.
BS

Autumnal Ogden scenes

Taken this morning.
BS

Day of the Cormorant, Ogden

The Ogden Cormorant joined the movers and left.

1 of 2 LBBs

Heron trying its luck in the water plant.

                                                        LBB passing through
Sunday Oct 30th 2011
Another Fly Flatts abandonment due once again to dense fog and heavy drizzle.
Back down at Ogden the mist cleared by 0800hrs leaving a bright , calm autumnal morning until 0935 when another front started closing in bringing cloud and drizzle.
Skies were quiet apart from a few Woodpigeons probably marking the near end of vis mig for another year though Cormorants were on the move with 3, 2 and another 2 then joined by the Ogden bird all heading >E.
The edges of the wood were busy with a growing number of Goldcrests and Treecreepers showing well.
Several Tit flocks were apparent along with Chaffinchs and Dunnocks. Two Redpoll were a nice treat and 4 Crossbills flew over calling heading towards the giants tooth.

8 Cormorant.............................>E
2 LBB gulls
3 Common Gulls
28 BH gulls
2 Redpoll
11 Goldcrest
3 Treecreepers
Flocks of Tits and Chaffinch
Sev Dunnocks and Robins
usual Mallards etc
BS

Another morning of movement

                                                   Several Black Headed Gulls heading South

                                                Early morning Woodpigeons

Another active morning with birds keeping low down in the strong wind.
Again Woodpigeons and Fieldfares were the dominant birds >SE but this morning late Meadow Pipits were coming through >S which were probably the late breeders leaving the moors. A steady flow of Black Headed gulls was obvious this morning going on till near midday all heading >S.
Fieldfare and Woodpigeon movement had stopped by 0915hrs.
A nice suprise was 11 Siskin over the garage >E.
Dont forget your clocks back tonight marking the end of evening birding for a while but you can have an extra hour in bed, unless that is, you,re a vis migger catching the early sunrise!
BS