Cromwell Bottom

Cold in very bright sunshine which at times prevented the viewing of distant wildfowl in the mainly obscured ski lake.

I managed to get average views of the Scaup pr. together with a drake Tufted but the Goldeneye were almost indecipherable. Two Grey Heron, 1 Cormorant and squadrons of gulls. The feeders were busy with Blue, Coal & Great Tits. I got brief views of a disappearing m Bullfinch.

9 poxy Grey Squirrel were also at the feeders and 4 of the imported scum have grown so used to being fed by people they came within a metre of myself and another birder. This gentleman informed me that 9 Goldeneye were visible yesterday.

Ogden Water To Mixenden

Pleasant walking conditions apart from the W bank of Ogden which is still under large patches of ice and snow.

Absolute rock bottom birding. 1 each Cormorant & f Goosander and the gullage on the ullage.

Nothing on the stretch to Mixenden which had a m Goosander & a Cormorant with plenty more gulls.

Looks like 2025 is gonna be just as scintillating as 2024 was 😢.

Low Moor Dams

Some patches of white filth around but predominantly it was thawing at a pace.

Harold Park lake was mebbe 50% frozen over and had plenty of gulls on the ice.

Not much else going on so I legged it over to Park Dam.

About the same amount of ice here but far fewer gulls around. However there were 14 Tufted Duck & a pr Goosander swimming around. There were far more Coot here than on previous visits.

10 Mute Swan, 1 GC Grebe & a Grey Heron half hidden perched in a tree.

I trust the GW Egret has found a place to feed now that it has departed.

Horton Bank CP

I finally got tired of smashing my skull against the walls and decided to have a walk in the white filth. There was a large patch of sheet ice on the last 60 yards or so of the path down to the waterside so I opted out and walked the safer 🌳 tree circuit.

All the avians were forced to mingle in one corner of the lake as the majority of it was frozen 🥶 over. No visitors at all just the usual suspects: pr Mute Swan, c12 Canada, Coots & Moorhens.

4 species of gull: BHG in high numbers, few Common, fewer Herring & LBBG.

A Robin sang briefly but no other arboreal avian’s other than a probable Chaffinch.

Queensbury Weather

Eee it’s reet cold innit. I staggered in the snow across road to Tesco. Half way there I sneezed well hard and my choppers flew out my mouth and disappeared int white muck.

I had to use sign language with the store check out lass as my gums had shrunk.

On way back near a telegraph pole I could hear a loud chattering sound. It was my teeth so I opened my gob best as I could and mumbled Come to Daddy. My choppers ran up the pole and jumped straight back into my cakehole. Talk about lucky 😀.

Low Moor In Dodgy Conditions

Didn’t expect Black Ice to be a threat anywhere below the dizzy heights of Queensbury. Silly me. I nearly went for a 3 hour ambulance wait down Cemetery Rd and a good portion of Harold Park was coated too.

Just Gulls, Coots & Moorhens on the lake so I almost crawled along to Park Dam where the going underfoot was considerably safer.

The Great White Egret was the first bird I saw 😛. It flew across to forage among the bank below the gardens where a Grey Heron was lurking.

 4 Cormorant, 10 Mute Swan, more Coot & 1 GC Grebe.

22 Tufted Duck were spotted but not a single Goosander.

3 Greylag & c80 Canada were in their favoured field.

Ogden Water NLFFB

A really bright cold day. After a most disappointing start to 2025 I hereby declare this venue as No Longer Fit For Birdwatching ☹️.

Mixenden Res held hundred of gulls. The majority were the usual smaller species but a fair few LBBG & Herring were knocking around.

As I left a Cormorant with huge white thigh patches, a white neck and large white breast and belly flew over.