A horrendous day from start to finish with heavy snow till midday leaving Queensbury with a good thick covering closing several side roads. By early afternoon the temperature had risen slightly turning the snow to rain and increasing the wind to WNW>5.
By 1500 hrs the weather had worsened with the rain now heavy to torrential and the wind increased to WNW>6 but the dogs needed walking and the water needed checking so arrived at Ogden in a very snowy slippy car park and treacherous walking conditions along the promenade .
Around 200 small gulls on the water in ideal Kittiwake weather but very hard to check through with the wind and rain in the bins and all the gulls facing into the wind away from me but a sift through satisfied me that I had missed nothing special so after a quick check down in the sluice gate area and in the duck feeding corner it was head back to the shelter of the car.
Definitely not a session to go down in the record books but to me never a waste of time because there,s always that chance of being something and if you give up looking you give up birding.
BS
WEST YORKSHIRE BIRDING. BRIAN SUMNER. I am based at Queensbury and bird a patch within a 10 mile range of home incorporating 16 stretches of water, several plantations, a belt of woodland, stretches of river and canal and good areas of moorland. I specialize in upland birds, reservoir and sky watching. My local patch is Fly Flatts reservoir. Any reports can be sent by text or call to 07771 705024 or see profile for e mail address. All images on this blog are copyright.(2025).