A bright morning with a temp of 4 deg on a cold W>4 with showers from 0945 hrs.
By late afternoon the wind had turned NW>4 and icy cold with more heavy showers by 1600 hrs.
A strange game,this birding, differing from one day to the next and never knowing whats around the corner, which I think is one of the main attractions to it.
Yesterday I had my hopes dashed when the 2 Redcar Tarn suspected Caspian gulls, one especially found first by KM and then myself, were confirmed as Herrings after a lot of searching through books and internet with the final decision from MC.
The striking white head is just a variation that some Herrings show
whilst the legs above the knee were,nt long enough plus the legs were too thick. Its possible that there are some Caspian genes but these are overwhelmed by Herring genes in structure and plumage features,
( the words of Mick C.) Thanks again to gullers MC and KM , till the next time!!.
But birding as it is, my misery was short lived with todays visits to Fly Flatts. 0745 hrs as I was unlocking the top gate I heard the plaintive contact calls of Pink Footed Geese and looking up ,there they were, right overhead. A mad panic to get the camera out of the car just in time for a quick shot as they disappeared into the sun.
As soon as I parked up on the launching ramp I heard yet more Pinks but very faint. These were directly overhead but the highest skein I have ever seen also going >E. Before I had time to put my coat on and get the dogs out a third skein went over but more to the south of me, again east.
Getting my breath back I set off walking and due to the thick mud with the heavy rain and the diggers chewing up the south bank I walked back up the track towards the road so the dogs got a walk and I could concentrate on sky watching seeing as the water and shorelines were quiet.
Half way up the track 4 birds were flitting in and out of the drain landing on the track and fence though difficult to see with the sun full in my face. I got the bins on one bird, a Mipit as expected, but as I checked the other 3 I couldnt believe my eyes, 3 Twite, the first Ive had up there since 2013 although these birds are more likely to be bloggers rather than stayers. All the tons of Nyjer I,ve put down over the last 6 years and I get 3 Twite in none of the seeded areas.
The birds were between me and the sun but I managed to get past them so the sun was behind me and they were more or less in my shadow line so I could get some shots to mark this historic occasion.
The afternoon visit was cold and wet with no signs of the Twite, despite me dropping a bag of Nyjer down before I left this morning, but a few big gulls were on the north shore so what better way to end a perfect day than scoping gulls.
Vis Mig
207 Pinkies............................>E 3 skeins. 54, 48, 105.
27 Starling..........................>NW
16 LBB gull.......................>SW
3 Herring...........................>SW
10 Mipits...........................>S
51 Woodpigs.....................>S
Present
1 Buzzard
4 Mipits
3 Twite
8 BH gull
4 Herring gull
2 LBB gull
53 Mallard
2 Stonechat
BS