A quick stop off at Ogden on route to Redcar Tarn found just 11 LBB gulls and 5 Black Headed with nothing on the water other than Mallard and 1 drake Tufted.
Redcar Tarn turned out to be not the best of ideas at 1530 hrs with school run traffic on the way there and works traffic on the way back adding nearly 1 hour to the journey.
Around 100 gulls were present but only 2 Herring gulls found, the rest being 75% LBB and 25% BHG. The 2 Herring gull along with an Intermedius LBB were lying low with several gulls in a field out of the strong W>5. The sky was alive with Swallows, Swifts and House Martins all feeding over the water. Other than gulls the water held 4 Tufted plus all the usual resident species mostly with young. The field opposite held 1 Redshank, 3 Oystercatchers and 1 Little Ringed Plover, the latter soon disappearing into the long grass out of sight.
Talking to a couple who live close by and visit daily told me a birder was there with a long lens camera at the beginning of the week taking photos of 3 Goosanders and a Red Breasted Merganser ?
BS