And the day just got better and better. Pinks Galore.

After getting back from Leeshaw and Fly Flatts this a.m. with the first Curlews back at both sites I thought that would be the best part of the day, !wrong!.
                                                              At 1120 hrs a call from DJS reporting 248 Pink Footed Geese over Lee Mount >NW which were out of sight for me at home but as he was talking he spied another skein coming over Ringby which I knew were in my air space,just!. From the bedroom window I could see them well in the distance and through the glass as our big opening window hinges the wrong way so I had to snap them through the glass. c40 birds
                                                               1158 hrs we were on our way to Harden garden centre when another skein flew over as we drove on Well Heads, again >NW towards Fly Flatts. An emergency stop and a rollicking from Lynda as I jumped out of the car, camera in hand. 85 birds. As we were setting off again I thought there was another 4 geese moving over but these turned out to be Great Black Backed gulls heading in the same direction. By now I was buzzing.
                                                                 Just after 1200 hrs a text from NW and DF at Ringstone with a skein of 250 Pinks shortly followed by a text from NR with 2 Skeins over Crow Hill Sowerby,numbers not reported.
                                                               A lull then in the afternoon until I arrived at Soil Hill at 1500 hrs in cold conditions , cloudy but good visibility with a light NW>3. Then it all kicked off again.
                                                              1516 hrs and a text from AC with 120 Pinkies over Northowram. Then a second call 1520 hrs with more geese following and a third call at 1524 hrs with yet another skein.
1542 hrs and a call from DJS on Hunter Hill with a skein over Mt Tabor which I also had just picked up.
                                                              The advantage of Soil Hill is the 360 deg view point and I was picking all these skeins up as they crossed the M62 at Scammonden some 10 miles away and following them as they disappeared beyond Stoodley Pike and into Lancashire.
Amazingly enough to my surprise and the cameras, and on a grey afternoon, I was photographing them on 600mm good enough to count them.
                                                                      Other than moving geese Herring gulls were on the move with 3 groups of 14, 31, and 18 all >SW.
Before the excitement started I just had 3 Skylark and the male Reed Bunting on the seed with a Heron on the track pond.
A real goose day with around 1013 Pink Footed geese moving through.

You,ll need to click on the photos to enlarge them and remember most were taken around 10 miles away so forgive me for not getting the colour of their eyes in.

                 The Well Heads geese towards Fly Flatts

    String of Pinks through our window

                       Just crossed the M62 600mm

                                300mm  10 mile range

                        Heading into Lancashire  300mm

                                                     same 600mm

                                   Over the motorway 300mm

                                                same 600mm

                                    Over the mast beyond the M62

                                                   Over Mt Tabor

                                           Herring gulls on the move >SW

                                         Herring gulls at 6 mile range
All photos for record and counting purposes only.
Thanks to all for texts and calls.
BS