Dinnertime Dash, Raggalds Flood and Shelf Moor

                                          Water holding well in the flood

                               Small gulls preening on the shoreline

                The only inhabitant in the trailer park.

With reports at a standstill today I thought I,d better get out there at dinner time and see for myself if it really was that quiet, and it was.
Raggalds Flood held 9 Mallard, 5 Common and 6 Black headed gulls plus the usual corvids.
On then to Shelf Moor trailer park where the field and 3 surrounding fields were void of any bird life apart from 1 lonely Carrion Crow looking round wondering where everyone had gone.
On the way back to work a Sparrowhawk skimmed over the car boot field.

Embarrassingly  to say, girl power took over today providing the only bird report, and even more embarrassing the birds reported flew near enough over the garage where I was working and over NKs house where he was in residence and neither of us saw them.
The report of a small skein of Swans, probable Whoopers , was rung in at 1100 hrs this morning from Sue Little, Bradshaw Johns good lady who clocked them going over Tesco, Queensbury and heading towards Northowram where AC also failed to pick them up.
Well spotted to sharp eyed Sue and thanks for the call John.
BS

Soil Hill Snow Buntings DEC 2011 to FEB 2012

A cracking winter for Soil Hill Snow Buntings with several counts of 9 birds present between Dec 2011 and Feb 2012. It got so reports for that time were saying " all quiet on Soil Hill, just the usual Snow Buntings ".  all photos B.S.

                                         In the rain

 One to watch for, Icelantic variation ( insulae)
much darker than Scandian sp ( nivalis)
First found by DJS and re located the day after by myself.

                                     Burrowing in the snow

                                                4 together

All quiet in and over the village today with no signs of the Shelf Moor Goldies.
Thanks to NK for checking them out.
BS

Shelf Moor and Soil Hill

                                   4 Goldies present, Shelf Moor 1445 hrs

                                       Up and away

                                            Very distant shots

After a report midday from AC of 20 + Golden Plovers at the Shelf Moor trailer park field I headed down there on my way to Soil Hill as soon as I got free from the shopping bit.
On arrival the Lapwing flock of 39 was in the second field up along with a few small gulls and around 80 Starling.
A scan of the field found just 4 Golden Plover present and disappointingly near enough out of camera range.
Good to bump into NK there who had just seen 4 Snipe in the juncus field.
After 10 minutes of watching the whole shebang lifted up with the Starlings heading off >SE whilst the 4 Goldies headed towards the Green Lane area with Nigel in hot pursuit but phone later that he did,nt re locate them.
The Lapwings continued to circle around as I left.
Meanwhile, up on a bleak and very soggy Soil Hill a full hours search of both summits and the mounds etc failed to produce anything in the way of Snow Buntings. Just 1 flushed Snipe, 1 cock Pheasant and a single Skylark.
Good effort by Angela and Gary for their search of the hill late morning, again with no luck.
Don,t worry , they,ll be more on the way and the December arrivals are usually longer stayers.
Heavy freezing up here in the gods tonight so could be a good day tomorrow, unless like me you,re working.
BS

Ogden, below the early fog of Fly Flatts

                           Plenty Goldcrest, carefully checked

                      Redwing scratting in the leaves

               Good count of Blackbirds

                     Flock of 35 Golden Plover

                                             Kestrel on watch

The cold frosty, clear morning never materialized with as usual for Sunday, much milder with Fly Flatts in the fog and Ogden grey, dark and drizzly brightening as I left.
The water held the usual small gulls and an increasing number of Mallard whilst a flock of 35 Golden Plover flew over Soil hill sky space >N.
No Chaffinch flock present but a flock of around 15 Goldrest very mobile working their way round the waters edge. These were carefully checked for Firecrest.
29 Blackbirds were counted during a circuit of the water, 75 % being males, and probable continentals all digging in the leaves in the wood along with 4 Song Thrush and 2 Redwing.
A group of 8 Siskin kept flying overhead, each time disappearing back over the tree tops.
The Siskin/Redpoll west bank Alders were empty other than 2 Goldcrest.
A Kestrel was hunting over the embankment.
BS

Plenty Snow, no Bunting

      Snowy Queensbury, first light

               Still snowy Queensbury, last light.

Overnight snow leaving a good covering by morning with a full day of icy winds and the snow remaining frozen solid.
Otherwise a glorious day with bright clear blue skies making it ideal for a Snow Bunting check on Soil Hill but no reports came in and unfortunately by the time I got free this afternoon it was 1545 hrs with darkness closing in so no birding for Bri today.
Good numbers of Woodpigeons were coming over the garage this morning with around 300 in 1 hour before it dried up at 0930 hrs. AC was getting the same over Northowram.
Raggalds Flood was frozen solid and birdless.
Hopefully the mornings going to be clear and frosty.
BS

Soil Hill Snow Bunting

    Early morning male Snow Bunting on Soil Hill
  Found yesterday by DJS.

Arrived on Soil Hill at 0710 hrs this morning and still near dark but the bright sky was showing blue through the clouds. That was until I started up the track when the rain clouds rolled over dropping the wet stuff on me and making it darker than ever.
By 0730 hrs it was 3 parts light giving me 20 minutes to search before heading off to work to open up at 0800 hrs.
After checking the mounds, track and eastern summit a despondent feeling was creeping over me but with 10 minutes to spare I decided to do a zig zag search of the west summit in a last hope attempt.
As I reached the last point of the NW corner the Bunt flicked up in front of me landing some distance away but still in sight.
Straddled on the deck I knew this was my only chance of photos although I needed full zoom  and it was still realistically too dark but with the camera wide open I fired away finding the camera did too good a job and the pics came out too light but satisfactory for the conditions.
With a camera full I gently snooked away leaving the bird happily feeding whilst I made a mad dash back to Colditz garage.
Thanks to DJS for the find.

Also today at lunch time a text from blog watcher Julian O Connell reporting c 50 Pinkies >NW  over Skircoat Green, thanks for that Julian.

Raggalds Flood at lunch time just held 1 drake Mallard, 3 Common and 5 BH gulls.
BS