Another dabble at Ogden

 

                                            West Bank

                                    Usual black Headed gulls present

                                            Single Cormorant

                                    3m 2f  Tufted

Usual fog on the tops but Ogden was below the cloud base with light mist and drizzle on an icy cold ESE>4 at 0 degrees.

     My intentions were to try for Leeshaw, even though Long Causeway is closed till the end of the month. I soon regretted it with standing traffic at Denholme Gate for temporary lights down by the salt pile. I sat it out but as I got into Denholme there was more standing traffic with a mile long queue for some reason so enough was enough, a quick turn around and back to Ogden. That's my last attempt to Leeshaw this month.

    The Tufted ducks had returned with 5 present along with a Cormorant and the usual Mallards whilst 22 Black Headed gulls were on the water.

    The west back trees just produced a few Great and Blue Tits but otherwise a very quiet morning.

After a chance of overnight snow tomorrow is showing cloudy on a light easterly at 1 degree. Raining ice at the moment up here in the gods with everything encrusted in ice and still foggy.

BS

    

    

Ogden Reservoir

 

                                    A fog free start

                                    0915, fog creeping in.

                                Single Herring and LBB on water.

Dense fog in Queensbury but luckily Ogden was reasonably clear with the mist coming and going but by the time I'd spent 1 hour there at 0930hrs it was lights out with thick fog. Pleasant enough conditions with a light E>2 at 5 degrees and remaining dry. 

   Just stuck to the prom and west bank this morning with just 12 Black Headed gulls on the water along with 1 Herring and 1 LBB. The Little Grebe was still over in the NE corner as well as 2 Tufted duck whilst a noisy Raven was overhead being mobbed by Crow.

    The west bank trees were quiet other than a flock of Great and Blue Tits working their way along the tree line along with the usual common woodland species.

   The Alders this winter have had the best fruit on for several years but a real washout for winter visitors. They started off well at the back end of last year with regular Bullfinch, plus a low count of Redpoll and even lower count of Siskin, but this year the Alders, so far, have remained empty.

     A temperature drop for morning down to 1 degree with a cloudy day and low chance of rain and snow on a moderate easterly plus of course, the fog.

BS

     

A foggy Fly Flatts

 

Mixenden, Ring Necked Parakeet                                                     

                                    Back at this site after 2 years.

                                    Fog at Fly Flatts

                                        A break in the sky

                                    Fog Lifting 0930hrs

                                    Here comes the sun.

                                    Mallards in the murk.

                            1 of the Greylag that was raised here last year.

A clear morning below but as I got to Fly Flatts the fog was cutting visibility down but looking ready for clearing which it did about one hour later . By 0930hrs it was misty on a light SW>2 at 3 degrees with the sun trying to break through.

    As yesterday, just Canada and Greylag geese with 12 Mallard keeping near to the floating jetty. Just 3 Red Grouse present but otherwise nothing, mostly due to the lack of visibility.

    Despite a poor morning at Fly Flatts the trip was worthwhile on the route there. As I drove through Mixenden a tree full of Starling caught my eye so, just by chance, I stopped to check them out. To my surprise, a Ring Necked Parakeet was in the tree with them. Up until 2 years ago this species was a regular sight here around the same tree with 6 birds present. 

    Suddenly they disappeared and, although I have looked every time I pass here, I have had no sightings for the last 2 years. Hopefully this marks a return for them to the area.

    A cloudy day tomorrow with a light chance of rain and a big chance of fog with a light easterly at 4 degrees.

BS

Back to Fly Flatts

 

                                        A sloppy track

                                    Sun on the moor beyond the Robin Rocks

                                        East bank and The Nab

                                        Boat viewing area

                                    Wind turbines in the low cloud

                                        The overflow.

A surprise this morning to find the overnight fog gone, though hanging around in banks and never far away. A light SE>3 at 3 degrees with some quick patches of sun and luckily the low cloud base over the turbines stayed put leaving good visibility throughout.

     Very little doing as yet but within the next couple of weeks it should come into use. I was getting ahead of myself this morning scoping the bankings for an early wader though I could do with the water level down a bit.

    Several Canadas and Greylags being very noisy and giving it a taste of spring so it won't be long before I'm clearing the jetty of goose poo once the sailing season kicks off. A few Black Headed gulls went overhead >SE and a single Kestrel was up hovering.

    Plenty Common gulls in the Nolstar fields but nothing more than that. See what February brings!

A cloudy day for tomorrow with a chance of rain but the wind temporarily turned to the SW which hopefully will eliminate the fog.

BS

     

Match abandoned.

 

                                    Foxhill this morning

The weather this month has been trying hard to shut me down without success but this morning finally managed it with thick fog, a covering of snow and raining ice on a light E>3 at 0 degrees.

    By mid morning the temp was up to 2 degrees with heavy drizzle clearing the snow, but this, plus the fog, remained throughout the day.

      Last day of January tomorrow, thank goodness, though the easterly with fog, snow and rain is now forecast to go on till beyond next weekend.

  If the fog continues, as forecast, the first of the waders will be back at Fly Flatts before me, with the first Oystercatchers due back around the 3rd Feb, closely followed by Ringed Plover and Curlew. Oystercatchers are already arriving back at Eccup reservoir. 

    Conflicting forecasts for tomorrow with one showing cloudy sunshine for morning and a wet afternoon whilst the other is showing cloud and rain all day with low visibility, the latter usually being the most reliable. Temp to rise slightly to 3 degrees.

BS

    

Back to the fog, rain and snow. Harold Park

 

                                        Harold Park

                                    2 Cormorant present

                                    Single elusive Little Grebe

                                    Plenty Moorhen

                                    Good count of gulls

                                    Gulls on the football pitch

                                        Herring gull

                                    12 Tufted duck

                                        Herring gulls

                                    Single Goosander

                                        10 Mute Swan.

Dense fog up here in Queensbury this morning so back down the hill to Harold Park where it was clear but very dank conditions with drizzle and rain throughout on a moderate E>3-4 at 2 degrees. By the time I got back to Queensbury mid morning the fog had lifted with a few light snow showers but a reasonable afternoon.

     Nothing new on the lake other than a Little Grebe, new in, but keeping very elusive. A count of 12 Tufted along with 2 Cormorant and a single Goosander plus the usual Mute Swans, Coots, Moorhens and Mallards.

    A decent count of gulls with around 50 Black Headed and 27 Herring but no LBB or Common. The gulls were alternating between the lake and the football pitch. Hedge cutting was taking place at the top end of the park so nothing on the top pond due to the disturbance and the trees remained quiet.

    A cloudy wet forecast for morning with light rain and snow at 1 degree, and of course, it will be foggy. The easterlies as set to continue until a week on Saturday when it finally turns south.

BS