Ideal weather today for reservoir watching with gulls moving through in good numbers.
Leeshaw was wet and blustery both early morning and late afternoon with a moderate W>6 increasing to strong W> 8 gale force at 39 m.p.h. by afternoon with rain and drizzle showers which turned to continuous heavy rain but the gulls loved it.
Walking down the track this morning past the stubble field, hanging onto the dogs that were getting wafted about, I got a Curlew call about 3 times but couldnt locate it until suddenly it blasted off from the middle of the Greylags dropping over a far wall out of sight ,not to be located, although I still kept getting a call from it during the afternoon session.
Like the 2 Oystercatchers present, this returning Curlew is much earlier than last year when my first arrival was 18th Feb at Leeshaw and 22nd Feb at Fly Flatts.
Other than the surprise Curlew, gull movement was the main feature making me return in the afternoon when it was still continuing but winding down.
Only a small number of geese today with the white and multi coloured Greylags present but no Pinkie.
Another wet and windy day forecast for tomorrow with some mixed winds starting SE, S, SW, then W and increasing late morning which could prove interesting. We,re well overdue something maritime passing through the area other than the Redcar Tarn gulls which have now been joined with Yellow Legged Herring gull, KM.
Leeshaw reservoir
1 Curlew
2 Oystercatcher
3 Lapwing
87 Greylag
21 Canada
2 m Goosander
121 Herring gull.................>W
19 LBB gull.......................>W
c50 Common gull..............>W
c 300 BH gull....................>W with around same number present
+ usual sp.
BS