Singing in the Rain by Freddy Stair (Rods)

After sitting through 4 hours of the new James Bond film yesterday with Sue and Emma, actually nearly 1 hour of film previews and news, and 3 hours of Sceptre, 

I had to get out and about today. To be fair it's not a bad film, goes on a bit though.

I got the Hyundai petrol wagon out, donned my waterproof coat and trousers and headed off for a real squelch around the local reservoirs in the pouring rain.

The waterproof coat turned out to be not as waterproof as I thought. It must need another dose of the waterproofing stuff I guess.

Ogden 10:15- 11:30

The bins and camera were difficult to keep dry and with the heavy rain the light was poor. I changed a setting on the camera not really understanding the impact of the change. I realise that I need a good waterproof golf cap to keep the camera dry when it's not in the rucksack.

A solitary Coal Tit was on the feeders and I was half way around the circuit before I even bothered to get the camera out of the rucksack.

The usual Black Headed and Common Gulls were knocking about and I did not see any LBBG (but there could have been some).

A small duck was as far off as possible in the middle of the water, a Teal I believe, possibly the same one spotted a few days ago. It was difficult to get a decent picture today.

There were 2 other groups of ducks (3 & 4) keeping to themselves which again were far off. These look like Teal -making 8 Teal in all I believe.

Passerine alley held 10 Chaffinch and a Bullfinch with a few Robin.

The large tree, near the bread lobbers area, was alive with Long Tailed Tit, possibly as many as 12. Also here a Nuthatch and no doubt others, but the rain decided to leave home and come to earth at this point so looking up into the tree soon became a rather futile exercise.

12:00 Leeshaw Reservoir

Leeshaw was disappointing with just a few small gulls, a Pheasant and c20 Lapwing. Possible Teal.

12:30 Ponden Reservoir

I had a butty break here.

Ponden was even more disappointing than Leeshaw with a few Mallard, small Gulls and a Kestrel sitting on a telephone wire looking thoroughly – well -  damp really.

13:30 – 14:50 Leeming Reservoir

Leeming reservoir started off in the same disappointing vein with c50 Small Gulls on the valve tower and a Heron on the far south banking.

I did the circuit leaving at the south corner to walk around through the trees and small bushes back to the start.

The weather brightened up for 15 mins or so as I crossed the Intake Channel that comes down from the moor. After crossing the new (ish) wooden foot bridge things improved.

There were plenty of small birds taking advantage of the short dry spell:-Greenfinch, Wren, Blackbird, Bullfinch, at least 6 Goldcrest, Jay, Goldfinch, Blue & Great Tit were hereabouts and a couple of Pheasant were feeding in the fields further along.

Raggalds Flood.

As I was passing RF I noticed that it now contained some juice so I parked up and took a gander,

It’s an amazing little place this, with as much bird life as some of the reservoirs.

Nothing too amazing today though with 12 Mallard, 7 Lapwing, Heron and a Black Headed Gull.

I was hoping that the poor weather might have brought with it an interesting Swan or Goose but it was not to be.

A rainy day joke.

What do you call a cowboy with a hole in his boot?

TEX Water.

Hope somebody buys me a less funny joke book than this one for Christmas. 

My current joke book is a cracker!

(or maybe the contents of a few crackers)

Pool/ Snooker in 30 mins. I hope to do better than last week where I was 6 Nil down before eventually loosing 3 - 10 or something like that.

Odgen:

1st Teal

Water gushing through now

 

A soggy passerine alley

The following picture are of the other poss. 7  Teal

Leeshaw:

Poss Teal?

Soggy Parking Area

Lower Laithe:

I did not get out of the car!!

Ponden:

Leeming:

Raggalds Flood:

Some really poor photies of Raggalds Flood