Late afternoon and a visit to Oxenhope reservoir to check the gull roost .
As I arrived at 1500 hrs in poor light, hence the terrible photos ,as well as the distance away, there were around 3000 gulls on the water and as expected no shoreline what so ever. With the birds in silhouette and the reflection of the water it was a hard task scanning through them although I did get a count of at least 29 Herring gull and 2 Great Black Backed.
There was a record count of Greylags whilst a party of Teal were under the far bank along with Goosanders and Goldeneye.
By 1530 hrs the gull roost had more than doubled in size with gulls still piling in and as I was back at the bottom of the banking in last light the flood gates opened with gulls coming in in their hundreds, an amazing sight taking the roost to well over 10,000 gulls.
That just leaves the question, why do all the gulls come in from the east and north east with none at all from the west. When I,m at Fly Flatts most evenings at last light there isnt a gull in sight yet there are over 10,000 just over the Nab not half a mile away.
Even first light all the gulls leave to the east with none moving to the west.
And why has Oxenhope a mass of wildfowl whilst again, not half a mile away Fly Flatts has none. This is the same whatever the wind direction or weather is so whats the reason, perhaps only the birds know and they won,t tell us????
c 10,000 + mixed gulls, large and small
Herrings and GBBs present
2m Goldeneye
5m 11f Goosander
14 Teal
29 Mallard
157 Greylag including some whites from last years breed
32 Red Legged Partridge, introduced with targets on them!
BS