Arrived at Fly Flatts just in time to see DJS driving off after watching from the top road.
It was one of those days when you get out of the car and want to get back in it as the wind and drizzle hits your face, but he who dares, so on with mine and the dogs coats and away we went towards the west bank.
The sky was dark grey with lower scud clouds bringing drizzle over the moor from the west on a strong W>7 near gale making it unwise to walk far along the west bank with the wind up to a speed of 32 m.p.h.
A scope scan from the shelter of below the banking found the long staying Dunlin still present way across on the east banking but otherwise nothing either on the water or shoreline.
A walk along the east side through the boat yard in shelter of the club house planning on an early finish soon changed when a Buzzard flew low over the water disappearing over the west bank which boosted moral . This was followed by 2 Carrion Crows over and 2 distant Raven above the Nab.
Back at the car on the south shore the team settled down in the back after a few treats and I got set up behind the shelter of the tailgate for a sky scanning session.
It wasnt long before I started to pick birds out , some low down and others just showing in the cloud base which was now below the wind turbines.
Another 2 Buzzard were up together over the Nab along with 3 Kestrel whilst 2 Fieldfare flew over the quarry top >SE.
Big gulls started to come through all SW with 3 Lesser Black Backed followed by a steady flow of Herring gulls in twos and threes with a count of 37 after a 30 minute watch and probably several missed up in the cloud.
A lucky glace in the opposite direction just in time to see 4 Teal heading my way over the flat moor looking like they were heading for the water but as they got out in the open and the wind hit them they did a quick u turn and headed back towards Cold Edge. Unfortunately it was way too dark for photos so only managed a few record shots of the Herrings up in the brighter sky .
What was going to be a cut short session in the conditions ended up as an extended 2 hour interesting watch in bad weather which seemed to suit the birds.
A check on Mixenden reservoir and Cold Edge Dams on the way past failed to find the 2 loose Whooper Swans reported to me by HC this morning as they flew past the Oxenhope watch point and low over Soil hill as if to land at Mixenden or Ogden. DJS also checked Mixenden earlier, and none of my dog walker spies from Ogden called me so they possible flew through or landed briefly before moving on again.
Strong winds for the rest of the week apparently so the job could go either way but I,ll be out there watching those skies.
BS