breeding plumage.
keep the water down.
Poor conditions this morning at Leeshaw with very heavy drizzle throughout along with low cloud and a strong WSW>6 at 5 degrees.
Much quieter than yesterday but another 12 Curlew went through >W but slightly higher than yesterday at the far side of the water with the fields as a backdrop so no good for photos. Gulls were back in the area today with several small gulls, some moving through whilst others stayed on the water. No Herrings but 5 LBBs and a single GBB headed high and >W up in the murky clouds.
A Mistle Thrush was in the top field along with 11 Oystercatchers and about 30 Fieldfare. A nice arrival of Mallards with a good count of 46.
By late afternoon the mist had cleared so I thought I,d better get up to Fly Flatts to see if anything new had come in.
The weather was fine and bright with just a few low scud clouds but the wind was the feature coming across the water from the west at gale force W>8. I walked to the SW corner but dare,nt risk the west bank as the wind was nearly taking my legs from under me. I took a reading from the corner and the
anemometer was reading 43 m.p.h. , a record for me up there.
The rest of the watch was from behind the tailgate of the car but very little to see with only 4 Herring gulls >SW, 2 Raven, and a Peregrine going through with the wind like a missile.
On the way back 3 Golden Plover lifted off from the Nolstar field and headed towards the Flat Moor.
Leeshaw reservoir
12 Curlew........................>W + 2 present
11 Oystercatcher
1 Mistle Thrush
c 30 Fieldfare
46 Mallard
1 pr Goosander
2 Cormorant
27 Canada
4 Greylag
+ usual sp.
Fly Flatts
2 Raven
1 Peregrine
4 Herring gull.............>SW
3 Golden Plover...........Nolstar field.
BS