An icy cold morning at Fly Flatts first light at -1 degree on a biting W>4 with clear skies,30% cloud and sunshine. By late afternoon at Ringby Top the wind had dropped to W>3 at 2 degrees with hazy cloud to the west and slight fine snow flurries.
From first off this morning the gulls were on the move with a good count of Herrings >NE as well as Commons, the latter being an unusual bird for this sight. A single BHG headed >S whilst a Great Black Backed headed >W but most of the gulls were distant and out of reasonable camera range.
A single male Stonechat was present briefly as well as 2 Reed Buntings , which along with the gulls, brought a bit of my enthusiasm back for Fly Flatts.
Late afternoon on a bleak Ringby Top but much livelier than yesterday with a nice flock of 24 Meadow Pipits as well as a single Skylark but ,after a quick fly around ,kept down in the grass.
Gulls were still moving but now heading west with 4 beautiful Great Black Backed , 2 ad and 2 1w, which flew over Swalesmoor rd just as I arrived and was parking up. This coincides with several reports of GBBs around the region today.
Todays big gull movement may be ahead of the strong weather front arriving with us tomorrow afternoon.
Well, Christmas is all over now bar't shouting so just New Year to get out of the way and we can start to look forward to getting some birds back to the area.
Fly Flatts
133 Herring..............>NE
82 Common.............>NE
1 BHG.....................>S
1 GBB......................>W
2 Reed Bunting
1 m Stonechat.
Ringby Top
2 ad 2 1st winter GBB..............>W
21 Herring................................>W
8 LBB......................................>W
sev Common and BH gull
24 Mipit
1 Skylark
1 Pied Wagtail
+ usual sp.
BS