Thursday, 3 April 2014

(F)og den Whoopers (or bloopers)


Sue dropped me at Ogden for a stroll in thick fog this aft. She thought I was crackers.

The fog was dense (a bit like me – you’ll see why later).

Ogden 14:00 

I was not expecting to see very much but the resident Male Goldeneye appeared out of the fog and I got a pic. Later on I got a better pic. of it.

On the circuit 2 LTT and some spooky honking coming from the invisible deep dark pond that I put down to Canadas.

Goldcrest and Wren made an appearance.

A young lady dog walker said that she had just snapped a Heron with her phone camera, as it disappeared over the prom. , and had I seen it? I was cursing my luck that I had missed the Heron, when a Nuthatch appeared in the tree near the flag pole.
It went on to the feeding area close by for a minute or two. I was that concerned about getting a pic. of the Nuthatch I nearly missed 8 “Bewicks” correction Whooper Swan rapidly disappearing into the fog. 
I managed to get a couple of pics before they completely disappeared.

I immediately texted BS to tell him about the “Bewicks”. He said "well done" -  but he was at Leeds.

Just before arriving home at Bradshaw I got a text:-
 “The Ogden swans are Whoopers”.

Sorry to Bri (and anyone else) that I may have misled.

What I want to know is how did BS see Ogden all the way from Leeds and ID the Swan correctly?


40 years of birding – that’s how!


p.s. After completing the Dales Way with Sue  in 1998 I was posing near Lake Windermere, for a photo to celebrate our achievement, when a Mute Swan bit my arm - they've got in for me them Swans 'as.













Above:- Soil Hill Mast from the Perseverance  Road Track - I gave it a miss today!
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7 comments:

  1. Well worth the effort in the murk to get Whooper Swan, well done.

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  2. Cheers Nigel.
    Must improve my recognition skills though.
    I would have txt you but I don't have you mobile.
    John.

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  3. Great find John and thanks for the text. Bewicks would have been mega , not to mention unusual but text the cavalry to check them out, DJS who confirmed Whoopers then I shot over there at 1800 hour. Well done for your efforts today, he who dares!
    Wish you were as good with your forecast as you are at turning birds up, you told me it was going to be clear today.

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  4. Thanks for the kind comments..
    The weather tomorrow pm( about 1pm) will be absoutely dreadful with snow and hail.
    Regards
    John

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  5. Its always like that at 1pm in my dinner time.

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  6. Well done with the Whoopers John, a great local find in the Ogden gloom.

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