Leeshaw this morning had good conditions with a SE>3 and a temp of 10 degrees with full cloud cover. Everything was right other than the lack of light with the sky as dark as night, so much so that I had to take Big Bertha off the camera and put on the 70-200mm in order to gain a bit of extra light.
Part of the Greylag flock was back in the stubble field but no sign of the Pinkie although several geese were missing. Fieldfares and Redwings were piling over moving fields, some briefly settling in trees as they passed.
The water and gantry was alive with small gulls, about 75 % BHG and 25% Commons with just 1 LBB and 2 Herrings.
A real lively morning throughout.
Late afternoon was poor yet again with just chance to check the water, which just held Mallards, before the fog and heavy rain moved in. I,m limited up there now to just the boat compound as everywhere else is mud bound so Im hoping for some sub zero temperatures over the Christmas holidays so I can get along the west bank when the ground is solid.
Trans Pennine Pink Footed Geese were on the move today with first a text from blog watcher PT with a skein over Horton Bank Top area heading for Queensbury at 1000 hrs then what would have probably been a second skein, given the time lapse, of 200 over Riddlesden at 1045 hrs, SR, B.O.G. Neither skein were seen from Leeshaw but thanks for the alert Peter.
Leeshaw reservoir
197 Greylag
2 Canada
150 Fieldfare
100+ Woodpigs
9 Stock Doves
300 + small gulls
c100 Redwing
24 Mistle Thrush
2 Herring gull
1 Lesser Black Backed gull
3m 4f Goosander
23 Mallard
BS