Ogden, 1600 hrs Strong to near gale WNW>6 cold but bright.
With the drop in temperature and the strong WNW wind I thought I may have a good chance of Tern at Ogden and at least it kept the crowds away. A full anti clockwise walk around the perimeter found it quiet passerine wise with birds probable dropping deeper into the wood to avoid the wind.
By the time Id got to the west bank I,d collected 6 Canadas, 1 drake Tufted and the usual Mallards plus a few Gt Tits and that was it.
Suddenly gulls started coming over from the direction of Mixenden reservoir all heading >NW into the wind. These were mainly Lesser Black Backed, at least 3 of these being very dark mantled of the continental race Intermedius . Some came down on the water briefly before moving off again with a total of 27 passing through in around 15 minutes. Four Herring gulls were amongst them and a single Black Headed which, for a heart stopping second, I thought was a Tern.
Whilst this wave of excitement was going on I picked up a wader very distant down the valley heading towards me which at first I put down as a Redshank with fast erratic wing beats but as it got closer I said Curlew until it let out 3 piercing whistles and by this time I could pick out the short bill and crown head pattern, Whimbrel. It never got as far as the 7 whistle call but I had enough on it now as it skimmed over the plantation in the same direction as the gulls.
After that , all was quiet again with not another gull in sight but that 15 minutes certainly livened Ogden up.
BS