Leeshaw Reservoir Oxenhope and Fly Flatts

A couple of hours birding this afternoon after a busy couple of days with Abi and Emma.
We all went to the Berlin Circus at Savile Park on Friday evening.
Very entertaining, funny and couple of the stunts were mighty scary for me so I think the acrobats, and Stunt Bikers must be crazy!
Abi lapped it up and we got a ring-side seat to boot.

We all enjoyed a visit to Shibden Park this morning, where a Pr. Mute Swan had 5 Cygnet in tow.

Leeshaw:

Breezy with showers.

A Ringed or Little Ringed Plover was on the far shore, too distant to be ID'd properly.
It scurried around very fast.


Oystercatcher, Curlew, Lapwing, Meadow Pipit.
Loads of Canada and Greylag Geese.
A few Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gulls on the water.
A few squabbling Black Headed Gulls.
Swallow and House Martin.

Fly Flatts:

Very dull, damp and breezy with 2 Trail Motor Bikers knocking about.

I decided to go home from Leeshaw via the Fly Flatts road.
The road is much improved from my last visit, a good while ago now.
It looks like some more resurfacing works is due later as the road is to be closed for a day or two.

This is a site that I very rarely visit, as I am always afraid to leave my car unattended and the views from the road are very distant with birds hard to ID.
Especially today with the very dull conditions and the water having receded dramatically since my last time here.
This is a great place to be, on foot, but my days of walking here from Bradshaw have passed!
Anyway..

Birds:

A Snipe flew across the front of the car, and a couple of Curlew were seen  as I drove along the moorland road.

Red Grouse.

The other sp. were very distant.

A few Large Gulls, Dunlin and Redshank.

The pictures from Fly Flatts art pretty abysmal, but it's my first local Dunlin.

My first local Red Grouse and Dunlin bring my Calderdale 2019 list to a heady 92 - must get out and about more!

Shibden Park:

Leeshaw:

Fly Flatts:

A very distant and dull Fly Flatts.

Dunlin

Redshank

The same bird as earlier - leaving the scene.

At least this awful picture shows it's not a Dunlin.
I think the broad white edge to the wing and the white wedge are diagnostic of a Redshank.