took to the water.
Wondering where to go for the late afternoons birding session in poor conditions was soon decided with a grapevine message from DJS saying he had found 2 Shelduck on Mixenden reservoir.
1445 hrs , shopping done and arrived at Mixenden reservoir to heavy showers of sleet, snow and rain throughout with odd bursts of blue sky.
Luckily Dave was still there as when I started to climb the banking he appeared in the sw corner waving me back as the bird was directly below the banking that I was climbing. A new approach found the bird on the waters edge with a second Shelduck way over on top of the east banking.
Very poor light for pictures having to use a high ISO reading but you can tell from the brighter pics when the sun showed briefly and I was able to use better settings.
Also present were 1 pair of Goldeneye , 1 Herring gull over > SW, several small gulls, mainly Black Headed, 4 Cormorants although Dave had a count of 6 earlier, 1 Jay and a few Goldfinch. A great find by DJS and nice to meet AT there also, 3 wise men stood in the snow armed to the hilt with cameras like the paparazzi waiting for a royal wedding.
Once again another good find quickly passed around thanks to Daves Calderdale Grapevine. If you,re already a member fivers are now due in and if not why not join now for all the up to date local sightings as they happen. If you like birds and want to know whats going on locally its the best fiver you,ll ever spend and all the money goes back into helping the birds with buying nest boxes, seed etc. The grapevine is priceless throughout the year but especially during Spring/Autumn migration time when skeins of geese and swans can be tracked right across the area through birders sending a text as they pass over their area.
For more information or to join contact Dave Sutcliffe or myself .
BS