Fly Flatts, A Reet Poor Do.

                  Canadas starting to move

 Snipe landing in the SE corner, taken at mega
 distance from the NW corner.

                                   Ponds looking good but quiet.

With the morning starting off with 4 Curlew over the garage very high and >NW I took the opportunity to check Fly Flatts late afternoon in sunshine and showers with a stiff W>5.
With the shoreline conditions at perfection at the northern end it was unbelievable that there was so little bird life around.
After a full check of the north and west shoreline and a scope of the east shoreline as well as checking every pond I  came away with just 2 Common Sandpipers, 1 Lapwing, 1 Snipe and a Meadow pipit.
A few Swallows were overhead but only 2 Swift whilst at one point 4 Kestrels were in the air together.
Disappointing for this time of the year but a bit of patience and they,ll come. Tomorrow looks like it could be another Sunday washout but we,ll see.
BS

Ogden p.m.

                                    Distant juv Gt Crested Grebe

                                           juv LBB

                                     1 of 2 Common Gulls

              Willow Warblers everywhere

A flying visit to Ogden early p.m. in rain and poor light, hence poor photos, but very calm and alive with midges.
Gulls were disappointing with around 60 Black Headed but only 2 juv LBBs and 2 Common gull.
2 ad Gt Crested grebe were on the water along with a juv whilst Passerine alley was heaving with Willow Warblers with several young. At least 30 were counted in a short distance.
Overhead the sky was littered with Swallows and House Martins but no Swifts present.
Hope you all have an enjoyable weekend.
BS

Queensbury Today

A quiet day move wise with the exception of the first few Meadow Pipits heading >W over the garage. Numbers will build up next month mostly heading >W until September when the big push >S will occur although the last couple of years Mipits have chose to use the coast route making us miss out on the amazing spectacle of swarms of them passing watch points.
Black Headed gulls are now returning to Foxhill park and will be joined shortly by Commons.
A customer from work checked out Fly Flatts this morning for the Green Sandpiper but only came up with 5 common Sandpipers.
BS

Fly Flatts mega dip

                                 Very distant Dunlin

                                          100s of Swifts

                 

                                       Plenty shoreline

                                          Ready for the August waders

Watching the weather from work today hoping for the drizzle and low cloud to remain to give me chance to get the Fly Flatts Green Sandpiper this evening but by late afternoon the sky cleared and out came the dreaded sun leaving a good chance for the bird to move on.
After a  thorough search of the northern ponds , shoreline and conduits there was no sign of the Green Sandpiper which are well known for not hanging around.
On the plus side, a Dunlin was on the eastern shoreline along with 3 Common Sandpipers and 2 LBB gulls whilst a single Wheatear was on the wall and hundreds of Swifts slowly drifting >S.
Ideal conditions all around the northern end now so hopefully we,ll be getting visitors anytime.
BS

Ogden p.m. check

                Good supply of LBB gulls

                                       juv LBB in the water

                         Herring gull in to land

                                   Usual 2 Gt Crested grebes

                                9 Canadas present

                                2 Herons together

With ideal moving conditions it was an after work check of Ogden although a once around the circumference on the water provided nothing special but plenty birds to check and an amazing amount of shoreline.
18 Lesser Black Backs of all ages were present along with around 40 Black Headeds whilst 4 Herring gulls went over >W with one landing briefly on the water.
The 2 resident Gt Crested Grebes and a male eclipse Tufted were diving for food whilst 9 Canadas and 2 Heron were at the north end.
On the way back 4 Kestrels were in the air together over Ned Hill.
BS

House Martins heading >S

Several House Martins were heading >S this morning over Queensbury ahead of the rain along with a few Swallows all in migration mode.
A few Swifts were high up over Foxhill park at midday along with several Starlings feeding high up on the wing, probably on flying ants which have been about the last couple of days.
Otherwise quiet today but a report of a male Ring Ouzel at the bottom of the Dailie fields was interesting, obviously a moving bird.
BS

Checking the waters, Mixenden/Ogden. p.m.

                          Mixenden White Crow

    Willow Warbler on Mixenden boat ramp

     Mixenden alive with Willow Warblers

                                      Juv Willow Warbler

                                Herring gull over Mixenden

                                          Looks like the Ogden bird

                                          More Common gulls at ogden

A late afternoon check on the gull and waterfowl situation at Mixenden and Ogden found the water  void of bird life at Mixenden but my disappointment was short lived when I saw several birds on the boat ramp in the SW corner. A closer inspection found a real fall of passerines probably brought down in the bad weather this morning.
Several juv Pied Wagtails were on the ramp along with Willow Warblers and House Sparrows.
The Hawthorn hedge alongside the footpath, still in the SW corner, was alive with at least 15 Willow Warblers, 1f Blackcap, Coal Tits, House and Hedge Sparrows as well as several Blue and Gt Tits.
Swallows and House Martins were skimming the hedge tops whilst Swifts were higher overhead.
A single Herring gull did a circuit of the water before moving off >N.
Back at Ogden the Common gulls had increased to 5 with several LBBs and Black Headeds.
BS

Oh well, theres always next Sunday.

      1 of 2 bedraggled Common gulls at Ogden

Off at 0600hrs with high expectations of movement over the reservoirs but all hopes were soon dashed.
The weather was clearing after overnight rain with slight drizzle and a touch of blue sky and sunshine.
By the time I reached Fly Flatts it was black as night and heavy rain just giving me chance to check the water before the low cloud came down. Sat deciding what to do an almighty flash followed by a clap of thunder helped me decide to move on.
The drive over the moor was horrendous with torrential rain and flooding making it hard to tell the edge of the road from the moor and on arrival at Leeshaw the rain was so heavy visibility was down to a few yards.
Off again and with the dogs needing their walk the last port of call was back at Ogden, again in heavy rain but not just as bad.
Just 33 BH gulls on the shoreline and 2 Commons with no big gulls present whilst the water held the usual 2 Gt Crested grebe and a few Canadas. Once along the prom and back to base just in time for the skies to clear and out came the sun, if it was,nt for bad luck I,d have no luck at all, never mind, its all part of birding.
BS

Sort this ring out Nigel, Ogden gull watch

             Herring gull still hanging around

               An early Common gull back

    Size of the Herring gull to the Mallard

      Always good to get the first Common gulls returning

   Black Headed gull with well worn single steel ring
                                             left leg

                                     2 Gt Crested Grebe

                      Juv Lesser Black Backed

             Zoomed in on ring  237,  rest unreadable

A late afternoon gull check at Ogden found it busy with gulls coming and going all the time.
Yesterdays Herring gull was still present and a surprise to see a Common gull drop in for 15 minutes before heading off >W.
A good search through the Black Headeds found another bird with a leg ring but just the single steel left leg ring which was well worn and hardly readable.
Otherwise it was down to the usual sp.
A good time now at Ogden if you,re a gull fancier with several different age and plumages to rake through.

61 BHGs
8 LBBs
1 Herring
1 Common
11 Canadas
2 Gt Crested Grebe
+ usual sp.
BS