Another of those horror mornings with a trip to Leeshaw reservoir with heavy horizontal drizzle on a moderate SW>4 increasing 5 with a low cloud base.
Two Snipe over >SW was a good start but that turned out to be the best feature of the morning with just a few gulls and the usual species to keep me occupied.
Late afternoon and a look at Mixenden reservoir with the drizzle still coming over in waves and low cloud improving as the afternoon went on.
Plenty small gulls on the banking and water with just a single Herring and 2 LBBs.
Two female Goosanders were on the water and a small diving duck was at the north end of the water which I expected to be Tufted but as I got part way along the banking I could see there were 2 female Goldeneye which were very flighty moving from one and of the water to the other which is usual for birds just newly arrived. These are the earliest Goldeneye I,ve had with the nearest being a single on Ogden 23/10/2016.
So a poor day was rescued at the last minute with a nice early record. You can always depend on Mixenden Reservoir to bring in the Goldeneye.
Leeshaw Reservoir
1 Cormorant
2 Snipe......>SW
c 70 BH gull
6 LBB gull
5 Common gull
1 Grey Wagtail
+ usual sp.
Mixenden Reservoir
2f Goldeneye
2f Goosander
1 pr Mallard
c 80 BH gull
18 Common gull
1 Herring gull
2 LBB gull
1 Cormorant.
+ usual sp.
BS