With bright blue skies and an early reprieve it was head for Fly Flatts full of high hopes which very soon got dashed. As I arrived the fire brigade were just leaving having been out in the flood rescue dingys so that meant nothing on the water. To add insult to injury masses of cloud were piling across the moor which burst open dunking hail, sleet and snow on a gale force W>7 over the area.
A quick top up of seed then away to Cold Edge Dams where the clouds had moved over just leaving the strong wind making it hard to stand by Leadbeater Dam.
Six Greylag were in the goose field with 38 Canadas nearby in the field around mill dam.
A scramble up the banking to Leadbeater dam just produced a few Black Headeds on the water and a dozen Mallard Whilst scanning across the fields to the east a group of around 100 Fieldfare were mobile around the fields and trees along with a flock of c 75 Starling.
Not the best of sessions but if its any consolation I had ex Bradford top birder Phil Cunningham in the garage today. He retired from the fire service and moved to Flamborough and he told me the birding over there is very poor at the moment so what chance have we over here.
BS