of Pinkies overhead. I hoped it would fly and join them.
I,ll go with that.
Dense freezing fog and a good white covering of frost and ice on the tops this morning but luckily Leeshaw was just below the cloud base and soon cleared to leave a bright day throughout with blue sky and sunshine on a light SE>3 at minus 1 lifting to 3 degrees by late afternoon. Banks of mist hung in some of the fields giving them an eerie look with the sun on them. I was pleased with the silhouette shot of the Curlew in the goose field as I first arrived.
A very pleasing, active day both early morning and late afternoon with the stubble field full of geese as well as a good flock of Lapwing and small gulls.
The water held a drake Tufted and 5 pair of Goosander as well as 2 Herring gull.
The Curlew was very vocal whilst Oystercatchers had risen to 5 across in the far field below the farm. A Sparrowhawk whistled through spooking 2 Meadow Pipits as well as several other birds and the geese got very noisy as a Buzzard flew over very high and in the sun.
As I was photographing the Pinkie in the field a grapevine text from JL reporting a skein of Pink Footed geese >NW over Soil Hill which I knew had to come my way as long as they didnt change direction. Five minutes later they arrived very high and just to the north of me. I looked back at the Pinkie in the field which was looking up at them going over like it was wishing it was up there with them but it seems settled in with the Greylags.
The last Pinkie that stayed here with the Greylags has now been at Cold Edge dams for 5 years living in the pen with domestic fowls living the easy life being fed daily and even sleeps in the hut with the other ducks and geese.
One of those cracking birding days.
Leeshaw
380 Pink Footed Goose...........1 skein >NW + 1 single on the deck
137 Greylag
41 Canada
42 Lapwing
1 Curlew
5 Oystercatchers
2 Meadow Pipits
10 Goosander...............5 pair
1 m Tufted
2 Herring gull..........adults
2 Stock Dove
1 Buzzard
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Heron
BS