With an afternoon spare and heavy rain showers it was off to spend an afternoon at Oxenhope with just me and around 600 gulls, heaven.
Heavy rain showers and drizzle turning to continuous rain on an ENE>4 which was not good for the birder but ideal for the birds keeping them moving with gulls arriving and leaving throughout the watch.
As expected, yesterdays Common Scoter had gone, hence the dash last night knowing with Scoters that they rarely hang around for long.
A Gt Crested grebe was new in from yesterday, a bit of a rare visitor at this location whilst a high count of 37 Mallard were on the water apart from the resident Mallards and young.
During a particular heavy shower around 30 LBBs arrived along with an adult Yellow Legged Herring gull which settled on the far shore.
The banking at my side of the water was alive with swarms of midges and I came away with a red dotted face but they attracted a good show of Swallows along with 7 Swift.
Surprisingly, other than Lapwings and Curlew, not a wader was present.
The shoreline now in in prestige condition so send on the waders.
1 Gt Crested Grebe
8 Herring Gull
1 YL Herring Gull
c 400 LBB Gull
C 200 BH Gull
11 Common Gull
37+ Mallard
97 Lapwing
7 Swifts
Sev Swallows
2 Curlew
+ usual sp.
BS