A moderate strong breeze SW>6 this morning at 26 m.p.h increasing to near gale SW>7 late afternoon at 33 m.p.h. then peaking at gale force SW>8 after dark at 1700 hrs touching 40 mp.h. which is nobbut a fresh breeze going by the Queensbury scale and certainly nothing like the forecast with threats of death and destruction. The rain was steady throughout keeping to a drizzle until 1700 hrs when the flood gates opened and we got a weeks worth of rain in 1 hour blasting horizontally in the gale force wind.
Number one priority in the winds today was of course check the reservoirs to see if anything maritime or winter wildfowl had been brought down.
This morning was the better part of the day weather wise but with Fly Flatts in low cloud and not enough water to get excited about I started off at Lower Laithe just beyond Leeshaw which was lively with gulls and provided an anxious few minutes looking at a distant diver which turned out to be a winter plumaged Great Crested Grebe
On then to Leeshaw where the Greylag flock could be seen in the distance as they moved fields in the Marsh area.
A good move of gulls here and good practice for flight shots as they whistled past at full speed in the wind.
Leeming reservoir had plenty gulls but only the usual species on the water.
By late afternoon with the wind increasing and very dark skies I had a change of rig fitting my
70-200 canon lens which takes me down to an aperture of 2.8 letting more light in but I still carried
Big Bertha, 600mm Sigma sport in my bag along with a 1.4 converter in case I got lucky on the reservoir. The idea of the 70-200 was if I could get a glimpse of the Chiffchaff but no luck there as the SW wind was battering the hedge so no birds showing.
After checking the reservoir I moved on to Ogden where a single Canada goose and a female Goldeneye were at the north end of the water, both uncommon birds here at the moment but the Goldeneye was probably a Mixenden bird.
So a good check round today and plenty walking with only a light coat of a dousing all day although I never got to use my replacement lens this afternoon but another good wind for tomorrow with possibly less rain. I love this weather.
Lower Laithe
1 Gt Crested grebe
c 150 small gulls
56 Lapwing
Leeshaw
c 200+ Greylags
1pr Goosander
9 Herrings
c 200 small gulls
4 Meadow Pipits
c 40 Fieldfare
Leeming
16 LBB gulls
2 Herring
c 150 small gulls
18 Canadas
+ usual sp.
Mixenden
1pr Goldeneye
1f Goosander
5 Mallard
1 Moorhen
4 Herring
c100 small gulls
c70 Woodpigs in to roost in plantation.
Ogden
1f Goldeneye
1 Canada
c50 small gulls
Raggalds Flood
31 Lapwing
7 Common gull
1pr Mallard
BS