but will have to settle for Pinkie.
A cracking days birding at Leeshaw reservoir with a bright clear morning on a cold SW>4
turning very cloudy and an icy cold SW>5 with drizzle for the last 15 minutes.
After a check of the conduit , hoping for Kingfisher whilst the sun was out, which of course never happens when conditions are perfect, I walked on the track to the big Whimbrel field where Greylag geese were very vocal. An amazing sight with the field heaving with Greylags where a count came to 284. The geese were very noisy so I knew they were due for a big blast off so a quick dash back to the car for my 70-200 lens , which one day I,ll learn to always carry it with me, and just got back in time to swop the lens before the whole field full blasted off.
A breath taking sight for so many geese close overhead then flying round in a wide circuit before they broke up dropping into different fields around the area.
Late Woodpigs were still moving >S whilst plenty winter Thrushes were present. A real hectic morning , start to finish.
Looking at the photos on the computer at lunch time a few of the Greylags had black bills which was puzzling but a scan through them late afternoon found it to be mud from probing in the fields.
As the light was fading I was still scanning through the geese in hopes of a White Fronted when I found an odd man out some distance away before the group of Greylags that it was with disappeared over a rise in the field. A long stake out and running out of light and time they slowly came partly into view so I could get a few head and neck shots.
The goose looked too big for Pink Footed so with that and the bill colouring I hoped for Tundra Bean goose but finally had to settle for Pinkie. Not an easy find in the number of geese but I,ll be checking through them regular now for something special.
284 Greylag goose
1 Pink Footed Goose
141 Woodpigs.......................>S
49 Fieldfare
27 Redwing
4 Blackbird
1 Wren
36 Mallard
1pr Goosander
3 Meadow Pipits
2 Herring gull
1 LBB gull
c 300 small gull..................75% Black Headed............25% Common
1 Grey Wagtail
2 Pied Wagtail
2 Mistle Thrush
1 Cormorant.
Raggalds Flood on the way home late morning produced 1pr Teal, 4 Mallard and 9 Common gull.
BS