A real change in the weather with a strong SW>5 and dark clouds. Perfect for me but bad for sun lovers. I may have gone a bit heavy with the rain dance as when it came down I was in the middle of Halifax in shirt sleeves and got a real good soaking. Lynda had the good sense to get into Wilkinsons as it started but I was up at the top end of town walking down to meet her.
1530 hrs and off to Ogden to see if the storm had brought anything down on the water which it had,nt but at least it had cleared the weekend public.
The only birds brought down were a flock of racing pigeons which were scattered around the area, some on the shoreline and some in the low bushes around the perimeter of the water. They easily get disoriented but after a rest they,ll soon sort themselves out and head for home.
Two Common Sandpipers were still present up in the NW corner but very flighty whilst a single Oystercatcher was on the west shoreline.
The near resident Tufted has returned to join the Mallards and pleasing to see 2 lots of Mallard chicks , a 7 and a 5. The 7 photographed are very young but lucky to have an aggressive mother who was seeing of the Crows in good style whilst the group of 5 are growing well and apart from the Heron they should be OK.
The Cuckoo was calling well from the Spring Head area with plenty Swallows and House Martins feeding over the car park.
BS