grey back , larger white face area and no hint of tuft.
With the weather at its worst this a.m. and dark till after 0800 hrs I headed for Redcar Tarn where at least the path around the water is hard standing whilst everywhere else is bogged down at least it meant I didnt have to bath the dogs on return, the wind and rain I can put up with.
The wind blasted across from the west at near gale force W>7 with rain followed by horizontal drizzle. As always the Tarn was alive with birds though gull numbers were down . On the first walk around the water, or blown round there was a count of 16 Tufted duck with 1 loner standing out as a Scaup.
The second lap of the water was a little dryer and produced a male Shoveler in eclipse which had evaded me the first time. Horrendous weather but a pleasing hours birding.
1 Scaup
1 Shoveler
16 Tufted
2f Goosander
3 Herring gull
sev LBB gull inc 1 Intermedius
+ usual sp.
Raggalds Flood held 8 BH gulls and 4 Mallard. The field is now half flooded and looking like a small lake.
BS