Also reported yesterday, see Andys Northowram blog.
strong bird now in its 2CY.
This seems a common problem among gulls,
lens, Canon fit.
of gulls and geese as well as close by moving skeins.
Horrific weather overnight with heavy snow blizzards on a gale force W>8 and overhead thunderstorms. I was up at 0200 hrs calming the dogs down that were spooked with the thunder.
By morning we were left with a light covering which was quickly melting but still the strong wind , now at NW>6.
Redcar Tarn was very windy with rough water but fine and bright with plenty big gulls but mostly sticking to the shelter of the fields. Again, no sign of either the Iceland or Caspians after a check of the surrounding fields, and not present when all the gulls blasted off when food was being thrown. The Iceland has been sighted a few days ago in the Cullingworth fields ,K.M. and I suspect it will be roosting at Oxenhope so could possibly still be around.
Otherwise, as always, plenty to see and photograph but nothing out of the ordinary.
Late p.m. and back home to Fly Flatts in decent conditions with a moderate NW>5 and broken dark clouds with some sunshine at 4 degrees.
I decided to go up there dogless as they had been to the Tarn in the morning and was due a long walk when I got home and I wanted to have a good wander around which is not possible with the dogs at the moment unless I can find someone who can supply them with rigger boots.
A full walk to the NE corner as well as the south bank and part way along the west bank as far as the excavations found very little but its starting to get that , any time now, feeling.
I hoped for a Snow Bunting but only found the snow and no Bunting though a bit of a bonus with a Curlew keep calling from the Flat moor but keeping down out of sight.
A group of 19 Herring gulls flew over >SW and 3 Buzzard were up in the wind but all very distant whilst a Stonechat showed briefly near the lagoon.
Fly Flatts
19 Herring gull ..............>SW
1 Stonechat
1 Raven
32 Mallard
3 Buzzard
1 Curlew calling
BS