A gorgeous late afternoon visit to Fly Flatts with conditions as this morning but the temp up to 3 degrees and the cold NW wind dropped slightly.
Still no Pinkie movement and the clear blue skies only producing a few gulls on the move with 8 LBBs >NE and 3 Herrings >W. From this mornings and this afternoons Lesser Black Backed gulls all were our own graellsii apart from 3 Scandinavian
intermedius but ,as with ACs Northowram bird, none could be classed dark enough for the Baltic fuscus sp. A real good winter for gull movement with several intermedius LBBs and GBBs through.
AF reported on his Orkney blog about good moves of Great Black Backed gulls up there in the Scottish Isles and fortunately we are getting good numbers in this area.
I,m sure, with the gulls moving there has got to be Yellow Legged Herring and white winged gulls mixed in with them but the range and height they usually pass Fly Flatts at makes it almost impossible to i.d. or photograph them, plus they rarely come down on the water.
Its the single gulls that come through unexpected that set alarm bells ringing, one of these days!
Other than gulls 73 Mallard were on the water and 2 Teal were still present whilst a Reed Bunting dropped into reeds by the boatyard, the first one seen up there this year.
BS
WEST YORKSHIRE BIRDING. BRIAN SUMNER. I am based at Queensbury and bird a patch within a 10 mile range of home incorporating 16 stretches of water, several plantations, a belt of woodland, stretches of river and canal and good areas of moorland. I specialize in upland birds, reservoir and sky watching. My local patch is Fly Flatts reservoir. Any reports can be sent by text or call to 07771 705024 or see profile for e mail address. All images on this blog are copyright.(2024).