Blue Skies + Sunshine + NW Wind = No Birds.

                                          Ogdens Passerine Alley

                                            Plenty greenery now.

                                               Across the promenade

Thoughts of passing Terns this evening at Ogden were quickly scuppered with the strong NW>5-6 along with clear blue skies strong enough to even keep the passerines down.
Not a Warbler to be found in passerine alley whilst the water just held the usual Mallards and Canadas.
A Grey Wagtail appeared briefly in the overflow and a Greylag goose went overhead high and >W.
Syke Lane held several Swallows and Swifts. Roll on July.
BS

Dark clouds over Queensbury

 Dark overhead, bright to the south and west

  Clouds like an umbrella over Queensbury, midday.

              New for Raggalds flood, Stock Doves

                                 Distant record shots only.

A grey damp morning improving late p.m. with an interesting sky around midday. A large black roof of cloud   was over Queensbury with bright skies below the cloud base to the East, West and South.
Fewer Starlings were in the park today meaning many will have moved on from the nest sites to farm fields where food is more plentiful.
Up to 5 Goldfinch were on the garden feeders today with a visit from the local Sparrowhawk which once again went away hungry thanks to the feeder protector rods .
Passed the Raggalds flood mid afternoon briefly where around 200 Starlings were feeding in the grass and a visit this evening found a new sp. for the site with 3 Stock Doves present along with 2 Lapwings, 2 Pied Wagtails and several Swallows.
BS

Birds we,re missing on Soil Hill

                                    Ringed Plover Soil Hill   late May 2012

                                  Dunlin Soil Hill   late May 2012

                     Golden Plover, used to be a regular, Soil Hill

May nearly out and not a wader for Soil Hill even though the remaining scrapes are holding water.
This time last year we were lapping up Ringed Plover, Little Ringed Plover and Golden Plover on the hill but this year nothing has materialized .
The nearby Raggalds flood continues to pull in the waders and hopefully July will produce Greenshank or even the now rare Green Sandpiper as long as the water level holds up.

An after work visit to the flood this evening found dense fog with nil visibility towards the water. Hopefully when the fog lifts it will have brought something exciting down.
At work today customers Christine and Reg told me of a Carrion Crow at their local golf course that lands on one of the golfers shoulders whilst he empties a bag of food out for it. Apparently this has been going on a couple of years now, you,ll have to try get me a photo of this for the blog Christine.
BS

Queensbury, lively with common stuff + an Oyk.

A deteriorating day with light rain a.m. progressing to heavy rain and low cloud by early afternoon, though very little wind and mild temperatures.
Foxhill park is now alive with young, noisy Starlings which all seem to appear at the same time with  c70  feeding on the football pitches this evening.
Blackbirds, Dunnocks and a Wren behind the house are all gathering food for their young although House Sparrow numbers are disappointing with around 10 on the feeders where in the past we have had up to 80 post breeding.
Good news on the garden Goldfinches which are now up to 5 adult birds which up to recent was unheard of in this area.
Driving back from the daughters across Shelf Moor this evening an Oystercatcher was flying low in front of the car disappearing over Jackson Hill towards Green Lane. A first for me at this location.
All quiet at the Raggalds flood tonight with just the usual Lapwings and 2 Pied Wagtails.
Hopefully the weather front coming in from the north sea tomorrow will drift something across our way.
BS

Ahead of the weather front

                Reed Bunting and Meadow Pipit at war

                                            m Reed Bunting

 Late afternoon and with the weather front on its way I thought it worth watching a reservoir to see if anything drops in.
Ogden was the handiest choice but on arrival it was like Blackpool front with cars and people everywhere so a quick about turn found me at Leeshaw again for the second time today.
I arrived the same time as the rain, blown on by an increasing SW>4 but conditions looked good for Terns or Waders although 1 hour watching proved me wrong.
The unseen Cuckoo was calling away in the rain whilst a Reed Bunting and a Meadow Pipit squabbled for territory around the muck pile.
No sign of the Ringed Plover but there were fishermen present.
Otherwise the sp. list was as this mornings report.

Raggalds flood on the way back held 1 Lapwing , 3 Pied Wagtails and a single Redshank.
BS

Bank Holiday Bash

                         Leeshaw Pied Wags

                   Leeshaw ploughed field greening up,  Oyk

                                              Leeshaw Little Owl

                        Plenty LBBs on the moor after eggs and chicks

                                     Oystercatcher seeing off a predator

                  Fly Flatts Reed Bunting

                               Distant Curlew seeing off a hunting LBB.

A bright but breezy morning with a cold WSW>5 blowing throughout and dark clouds to the west.

A tour round this morning with nothing spectacular and starting to feel like the quietest month, ( June).

Leeshaw Reservoir
3 Oystercatchers
2 Redshank
1 Ringed Plover
1 Little Ringed Plover
1 Cormorant
1 Little Owl
8 LBB gulls
2 BHGs
3  Pied Wagtail
Plenty Swifts >E
+ usual sp.

Fly Flatts
3 Redshank
2 Oystercatchers
2m Reed Bunting
4 LBB gulls
Swifts >E
+ usual sp

Hunter Hill
2f Wheatear
1 Kestrel
2 Willow Warblers
+ usual sp.

Mixenden area
White Crow

Raggalds Flood
2 Lapwing
2 Linnet
1 Pied Wagtail
water receding rapidly .
BS

Soil Hill/ Raggalds Flood

                                     Soil Hill safari park,  Roe deer

                                             Noisy Curlews

                                                   Whitethroat

                                Reed Bunting, male above, female below.

                                  Whitethroat in the brambles

  Very distant shot of the Tree Pipit

                     Swifts moving >E ahead of the weather front.

Neglected Soil Hill of late so gave it a 2 hr session late afternoon with some rewards.
The water filled scrapes on the summit held no bird life other than Linnets so it was down to the bottom where the first bird heard and briefly seen was a Tree Pipit, possibly 2 which flew from the lower end of the trees landing briefly before flying  to the upper most trees not to be re located. This was possibly NKs bird from the other day as it was a bright yellowish looking bird standing out from a distance.
A pair of Reed Buntings were near the lower ponds along with a single Whitethroat but all were very mobile.
A steady flow of LBB gulls headed for TMR whilst Swifts moved over >E throughout, possible keeping ahead of the weather front coming in from the west.
Also my first Sand Martin of the year with one >W over the bottom ponds.

Bad news on the Raggalds flood as the farmer was throwing sticks into the water for his 2 dogs so no birds at all.
BS

Fly Flatts/Raggalds Flood

                                  Only 2 Common Sandpipers found

                Plenty young, Canadas above, Greylag below

                                      Fly Flatts ponds

                                  Just the 1 Wheatear showing

Fly Flatts 0700-1000hrs
An icy cold NW>5 which dropped by 0900hrs leaving warm sunshine.
Fly Flatts had the sound of silence with birds busy nesting on the moors and Curlews only rising up calling when disturbed by a passing predator.
Only 2 Common Sandpipers remained from my last count of 9 and a single f Wheatear was very mobile.

Raggalds Flood on the way back found 1 Redshank, 1 Oystercatcher and the usual Lapwing.

Fly Flatts
2 Common Sandpiper
1 f Wheatear
2 Redshank
3 Oystercatchers
4 Red Grouse
6 LBB gulls >N
Umpteen Canadas and Greylags all with young.
No Twite, just 2 Mipits on the seed.
BS