A morning at Leeshaw reservoir was a washout with slight improvement mid watch with a moderate SW>5 and very heavy rain showers and drizzle in between.
More gulls today with a few LBBs but mainly small gulls all >W over the water with several around the fields. A single female Goosander was on the water whilst goose numbers continue to increase.
A bright but breezy afternoon when a planned visit to Fly Flatts was abandoned after a scan of Mixenden from the top road revealed Herring gulls plus a text earlier from DJS with a possible Yellow Legged there in the morning so Mixenden it had to be.
Around 100 small gulls were present , 75% being Commons which is unusual, whilst 6 Herring gulls were in among them well out in the middle and bad to see with the sun reflecting on the water. The birds were very fidgety, busy preening but kept jumping up out of the water ,so it was a matter of patience waiting for each bird to show its legs to get on film. The one I had my eye on had a slightly darker mantle and wings and a real butch looking face but turned out to be a argentatus whilst the next gull to it was a michahellis.
Good to meet DJS up there who was watching a female Goldeneye which I had missed with gull watching. The Goldeneye , which was possibly one of the birds I had last week, was found this morning by NK who also relocated one of the Black Redstarts this morning at the Soil Hill site in atrocious conditions.
Only other bird on the water was a drake Tufted duck whilst a few Chaffinch were overhead.
An interesting talk to a local dog walker who showed us photos on his phone of 6 Ring Necked Parakeets on his garden feeder in the area where I had 2 last week. He says the birds have been around for quite some time.
Leeshaw
c 350 Small gulls
26 LBB gulls
1 f Goosander
14 Mallard
28 Greylag
46 Canada
Mixenden
1 Yellow Legged Herring gull
5 Herring gull
c 100 small gulls, mostly Commons
1 f Goldeneye
1 m Tufted
+ usual sp.
BS