exp. down at 800 and iso. up at 4000.
2 Herring gull
At 0630 hrs as I was getting up this morning the fog was clearing well but by the time I was ready for off it had rolled back in as thick as ever.
Once again Leeshaw was below the cloud base though very dark and drab with hardly a breath of wind.
Plenty movement in the sky with a good start off of 32 pink Footed Geese >E soon disappearing into the cloud whilst a flock of 49 Greylags flew over heading for one of the top fields. Woodpigeons are still on the move with 171 >S in 2 groups heading high and fast in migration mode.
Just 2 Canadas on the water as well as 2 Herring gull, 1 LBB and several small gulls with a mix of around 300 Commons and Black Headeds around the area, 75% being BHGs. A small group of 4 Meadow Pipits were mobile around the fields and wall tops, possibly over wintering birds.
A check of the conduit for Buntings etc produced a surprising visitor in the form of a male Kingfisher, a first for me here in 50 years of visiting. It seemed out of place down on the conduit but was catching a fish every dive, either Sticklebacks or Minnows. This was my 97th species for Leeshaw.
Late afternoon and with the wind turbines just visible from Queensbury I took a chance on Fly Flatts which was workable though horribly dark and misty with visibility just across the reservoir but good enough to check the water, what there is left of it now, scan all the ponds and shorelines and top up all the feeding areas.
Apart from 2 Crows, also checking the feeding areas, there was just 2 adult Herring gulls and 1 Lesser Black Backed out on the newly formed islands. Otherwise all quiet and coming dark up there by 1500 hrs.
BS