First Snow Bunting now Whooper Swans, whatever is Dave Sutcliffe going to come up with next ?
A text this morning from DJS reporting 13 Whoopers low over Ovenden heading towards Mixenden where Dave assumed they would be found, bang on. I passed the message on to NK who sprang into action along with DW to find them on the reservoir shortly afterwards.
I was taking Lynda to Halifax after work, lunch time, so I told her there was a diversion to Halifax which luckily took us past the top of Mixenden,strange that. My tact there was to take some distant snaps from the top road just in case they had gone by the time I could get there late afternoon.
I finally arrived at the reservoir at 1500 hrs and was pleased to find the lucky 13 still there. As always they were near the middle and at the opposite end to me so a sloppy trudge through the wood where I got set up in the trees and waited. They never came too close but at least they drifted so they were opposite me and as the heavy rain stopped and a bit of brightness appeared I got my shots.
The birds kept becoming very vocal as if they were ready for off but kept settling down again. It was interesting when the local Canadas flew in with Canadas and Whoopers trying to out call each other, the noise was amazing until both groups settled a distance away from each other.
A nice surprise there was to bump into Pauline who works with Judy Hogg for the Yorkshire Swan and Wildlife Rescue Hospital. Pauline is the lady that,s been chasing around with Judy after Brighouse cygnet 376Y.
Right Dave, we,re ready for the next species now.
BS