The Humber bridge can be seen on a clear day
beyond Drax.
A late afternoon visit to Oxenhope reservoir found it as busy as ever with around 800 gulls all along the expanding sandy shoreline. Gulls are constantly on the move with birds coming and going throughout. Every so often the whole flock will lift off noisily before circling around and landing on the water until they think it is safe to come back on the shore. Usually it is unclear what spooks them but something as easy as a Crow or Heron coming in to land is enough to do it.
A slow steady scope through the crowds produced around 500 LBBs, 250 BHGs, 4 Commons and 21 Herring as well as 2 ad Yellow Legged plus a 3rd year bird.
Wader wise there were 2 Curlew, 103 Lapwing, 1 Common Sandpiper, which was new in from yesterday, along with 2 Oystercatchers but no sign of the Ruff which was present this morning along with 4 Yellow Legged, CK.
5 Swift went over and there were plenty Swallows and House Martins.
A stonking weekend for the res with a count of
6 Yellow Legged Herrings and a Ruff, MC, BS
4 Yellow Legged and a Ruff, CK
3 Yellow legged , a Common Sandpiper and 2 Oystercatchers, BS
and thats just in 3 visits.
A report from NK this afternoon of several House Martins grouping over the village which coincides with several yesterday over Shibden valley and today over Leeshaw and Oxenhope res.
BS