Dense fog on the hill tops this a.m. so headed for Leeshaw which was just below the cloud base but grey and wet. By 0730 hrs the rain had stopped and visibility improved giving an active vis mig morning despite a couple of break offs for heavy showers moving over.
Mipits,Swallows and House Martins were the main contenders but a nice variety throughout. A Ringed Plover dropped onto the banking during a shower but was immediately seen off by the gulls.
A return there late afternoon found a record number of gulls whilst a single Curlew headed >W over the far moor.
a.m. Vis Mig
231 Mipit...................................>S
127 Swallow.............................>S
31 House Martin......................>S
3 Snipe.....................................>W
5 Alba Wags............................>W
2 Grey Wags............................>W
19 Mistle Thrush.....................>SW
1 Ringed Plover, dropped on shoreline then >W
Present this evening
1 YL Herring gull
9 LBB gull
c180 BH gull
29 Common Gull
1 Curlew..........................>W
3 Kestrel
+ usual sp.
No time to blog at lunch time today with the ongoing Ogden Little Egret saga when BH found the bird distressed this morning and ended up taking it home until we could find a rescue centre that would take it. It seems the only options we have if we find a distressed bird is take it to either Selby , Bury or Morley but a helpful lady at Morley,via NK, advised that seeing as the bird had no sign of physical damage it could just be in shock and should be left a couple of hours to recover. She said it would help to get some food and water down it then try to release it.
Bruce agreed to this giving it water with a syringe and was going to try it with prawns before attempting to release it at EGP.
I,m now waiting to hear the outcome.
Thanks to BH for his act of kindness towards the bird and also DJS, NG and AC for their contact and a special thanks to NK for the time he spent on the phone and internet exploring every avenue to help the welfare of this special bird.
I will update when I can find out the end to the story.
Update. Bruce took the Egret down to EGP were it was placed in a keeping pen in care of the lads down there but its condition seemed to be worsening and not taking water. It will be checked in the morning but the outlook seems grim.
BS