gull flew past in the thick fog but not to be. Probable Herring.
What an amazing visible migration morning today with the biggest move of winter thrushes, woodpigeons and small passerines that Ive ever experienced.
Redwings and Fieldfare piled through relentless with the skies full and too many to count at some stages. Woodpigeons came over high, again in massive numbers whilst Chaffinch, Brambling and Redpoll came over low with many more finches high and unidentifiable.
HC at his watch point was overwhelmed and ended up with a count of over 20, 500 birds including
8633 Redwing, 413 Fieldfare, 11139 Woodpigs and plus an interesting white tailed Buzzard sp. which sounded like a good contender for a Rough Legged from his description. See Howards account on Trek for his full report.
Late afternoon and the excitement of vis mig over for the day it was a stop off at Raggalds Flood which produced 1pr Wigeon with 1 pair gone from yesterday and this morning, plus 45 Lapwing, 9 Mallard and several small gulls along with a Snipe which headed for Soil Hill.
Despite a warning of fog at Fly Flatts from DJS I never the less headed up there as a band of brighter weather looked to be approaching from the west.
On arrival it was misty with a SSW>5 with drizzle but workable. The minute I got the camera ready 4 Wigeon lifted off from the south east corner and gained height towards Cold Edge Dams disappearing into the mist. Just time to check the water before the fog started to roll back in and by the time I was half way along the west banking the fog was dense down to around 30 yds visibility.
I was sure something would have dropped in after todays massive Scandinavian move and I was right , or possibly right. A small bird flushed from the track 20 yds in front of me and flew a small circuit in the fog before landing again further along the edge of the track barely visible . I got a flash of white through the bins pointing me in the direction of Snow Bunting but as I lifted the camera it dropped down the west banking towards the feeding station with no chance of re location in the conditions. That will have to go down as the one that got away.
Back at the SE corner still in dense fog a single gull flew slow and low passed me and I just saw a black bill. With Caspian in mind I took a few shots but back on the computer it looks like 1st winter Herring if not LBB.
Driving home the sky was clear less than a mile away from Fly Flatts and even the sun was out briefly at Mixenden. Strange how the fog always hangs over that corner of Warley Moor.
Well done to Howard Creber for his amazing achievement. A near impossible task for one man at a watch point to record over 20,500 birds including counting, identifying and writing down at the same time. Vis Mig at its best.
BS