1500 hrs and because it was getting late I settled for Ogden to check the water, BAD MISTAKE !
Ogden Lane was gridlocked with irate drivers trying to get in and out of the car park and more people than Blackpool front on a Wakes weekend. Get me out of here was my first thoughts so a quick reverse back to the main road and head North towards tranquility.
Leeshaw was next on my mind but with the light fading and 20 minutes drive it seemed hardly worth it so a stop off at Sentry Hill which turned out to be one of my better moves. As I went through the gate and parked at HCs watch point gulls were already piling into the reservoir roost. The wind from the NW >5 was bitter even standing behind the car and I thought of HC standing there ever morning during the vis mig season in the cold winds, rain and even fog undeterred in order to get a count, a truly hardened vis migger, well done Comp.
A quick dog walk down to the bottom of the hill and back got the blood flowing then back to the watch point for some serious scanning.
I,ve never experienced as many birds together in 30 minutes of watching than I did tonight with gulls, large and small piling over continuous as well as Mallards, Greylag geese and corvids. At one point the sky overhead was literally black with Jackdaws heading to roost, possibly at Hewenden . As the sun went down it was spectacular to see gulls passing through the bright orange sky passing the Nab and Sacrifice Stones to drop down onto the reservoir and Im sure Howard will get a similar sighting in the mornings at sunrise as the gulls leave for the fields.
An amazing last light session, something money can,t buy.
BS