Leeshaw Osprey Watch and Vis Mig Nostalgia

       Unusual visitors to the fields, Red Grouse

                                 YL Herring gull present on the far shore throughout.

With an afternoon free and a call from Gordon at Barden with an Osprey present it was head for the reservoir in case it came this way. BV had Fly Flatts covered so I headed for Leeshaw thinking with the strong W>6 it would keep to the east in the shelter of the Nab hopefully passing over Leeshaw but after 2 hours watch 1400-1600 hrs it wasnt to be.
                                                                          The strong wind was keeping things down with just a few gulls, inc the Yellow Legged, plus Canadas, Mallards and Cormorants.
An unusual 2 visitors to the farmers field were 2 Red Grouse probably flushed from the moor to avoid the little men with small brains and big guns. Just one quick Whinchat sighting up near the farm along with 2 Willow Warblers.
                                             
Going back through some old vis mig papers last night I reproduced a few old photos that some may be interested in from our days on Windy Corner, Oxenhope reservoir . The pics are from the autumn of 2001 /02/03 so please excuse the quality as I scanned then from printouts.

                               Hc and the late JS

                               DCB     SR     HC

                                       Mr Cool,  Howard Compo Creber

                                         Looking like I needed a good meal.

                                             MD       PC, seated    and HC

                                                  Compo and Foggy at tea brake.

                                                           Same again in grim conditions

                                 It got worse late October before we ended
                                           the season early Nov.   DCB arriving.

     Sheltering from the westerly  DCB  MH   HC

    3 miggers waiting for the fog to clear  DCB  HC   the late JM.

Happy days when it all relied on teamwork.

 And this was just one of the rewards of teamwork,
                    Red Necked Phalorope , Oxenhope 23/05/1999

                         Another good team ,me and buddy in his birding gear.
                  He used to bark when he heard Pinkies coming well before I
                   heard them, sadly missed.
BS