Terrible conditions at Fly Flatts 1500 hrs today with heavy driving rain throughout apart from a couple of short dry spells. The rain was driven across the reservoir on a NW>4 with dark clouds above and to the east whilst the sun shone through the clouds to the west throwing everything into silhouette.
Some interesting sky features with dark blue to purple storm clouds to the east and bright golden clouds to the west reflecting on the rain blanking out the moor in a milky haze. At one point 4 rainbows were showing, one coming down right in the boat compound but no pot of gold found.
Unfortunately the lenses I carry are no good for weather photography, otherwise I could have got some spectacular photos.
Bird wise it was raptors that ruled the watch, extinguishing the myth that raptors dont like to get their feathers wet, with 2 Buzzard, 3 Kestrel,and a Peregrine all in the pouring rain. One Buzzard hovered constantly near the wind turbines despite an unhappy Kestrel trying to see it off. The Peregrine was over the western ridge heading >S.
A few Mallard on the east shore but no Goldies today and no gulls on the water other than a single Black Headed.
2 adult and 3 juv Herring gulls came over >NE then a gull that stood out as being something different. An adult Herring gull but darker mantle and upper wings and a dark slimmer, longer bill. Its winter plumage head streaking was darker and more intense than our usual
argenteus whilst the white windows,( mirrors), on the primary tips stood out more so I believe this to be a northern bird of the arctic species, argentatus, from the Baltic Sea / Norway region.
This coincides with at least 1 adult Herring, argentatus, moving through >NE on Sunday morning over me at Fly Flatts in a group of 24 Herrings then picked out by DCB /HC at Oxenhope. Dave rang me later saying he thought the single adult amongst the other juveniles was of the sub species argentatus. No leg colour could be picked out on either bird, some showing Yellow legs but lighter upperparts than Yellow Legged Herring gulls.
Interesting stuff, or boring if you don,t like gulls.
BS