Withins Fieldfares in the frosty field
Peregrine over Fly Flatts in the mist
Wintery scenes at Fly Flatts. South from the west bank
The 1 mile of piping to divert the water
Looking north from the west bank.
A misty north shoreline.
All thats left of the water.
The temporary disused Twite feeding station.
The 3 islands are now as one.
Looking down to the drain
The vortex , now drained nearly as much as it can.
Well, the 5 days of sunshine promised by the weather men lasted just 1 hour at Fly Flatts this morning before the fog came down and lasted throughout the day.
Conditions at the start were ideal with clear blue skies, sunshine and good visibility other that the tops of the wind turbines in mist but the trouble making breeze was from the east which always spells trouble and by 0915 hrs the fog came wafting in from the east shutting the job down.
On the way up there around 40 Fieldfare were in the Withins field in the heavy frosted grass along with at least 4 Meadow Pipits.
With the temperature at minus one the muddy tracks around the reservoir were frozen solid so an ideal time to walk the full length of the west bank as well as checking the NW corner conduit with just 2 Reed Bunting and 3 Mipits found whilst a Peregrine flew over the water just as the fog was coming in.
by the time I got back to the boat compound visibility was gone so yet another early finish.
Late afternoon and Fly Flatts still enveloped in fog so another trip to Leeshaw reservoir to find it dark and murky but visibility workable.
One pair of Goosander were on the water with a single Cormorant and around 100 small gulls plus 2 Mallard whilst the Mipit flock were still present in the stubble field but otherwise very quiet.
The fog has cleared up here in the gods so far and the wind is shifting to >N then >NW in the morning but very light so hopefully it may be fog free but I,m not holding my breath.
See if December is any better than an awful November, I suppose its got to be really!
BS