A great start to the morning with Redwings piling over first light with a rough count of 500 >S before, on way to and at work. by 0915 hrs the sky had cleared and the wind increased to S>5 so the skies went quiet.
Mixed in with the Redwing were Chaffinch, Greenfinch and around 10 Siskin, at last a quick taste of real vis mig.
Late morning Denise S called in at the garage looking windswept and interesting to report a pair of Wigeon up on the Raggalds Flood plus she also had been getting Redwing over.
Midday and work over the first job was call at the flood to snap the Wigeon before the rains moved in. The sky was already black with a strong wind and specks of rain by 1300 hrs as we arrived at the flood on the way to Halifax.
The whole area was alive with birds, more than I have ever seen there with around 200 Starling, 130+ Lapwing and about 50 small gulls. All these birds, including the pair of Wigeon, were very mobile with a local cat getting too close for comfort making the flocks fly around in a circuit before landing again. Amazing how a giant puddle in the middle of a field can attract more birds than, Ogden, Fly Flatts and Leeshaw put together.
Shopping done and off to Leeshaw looking for shelter from the wind but on arrival the wind blew and the horizontal drizzle stung your face.
Plenty mixed gulls on the shore and a single female Goosander on the rough water but otherwise poor. A walk with the dogs along the track then off over the hill to Fly Flatts.
Fly Flatts was something else with gale force winds and torrential horizontal rain making it completely unworkable even from the car along the top road. The water was like the North sea with white horses piling across the surface and crashing onto the east shore.
Strange to watch an unusually high number of Mallards stood right on the edge of the water letting the waves crash over them just like we use to do on the harbour wall at Scarborough.
Thanks again to Denise for this mornings info which saved the days birding.
A text today from HC saying the Fly Flatts Great White Egret, or another, was presently on Cononley Ings and had been photographed by BOG s RC.
BS