A calmer drier day with just an odd shower or two on a light S>4 at 5 degrees rising to 10 degrees pm.
Full cloud cover this morning with outbreaks of sun p.m.
A look at Fly Flatts and a top up of the seed found that ,as usual, Fly Flatts is about 2 weeks behind the rest of the region and hasnt kicked off yet. The water held 27 Canadas and 2 Greylags whilst the only fly overs were a Peregrine and a Kestrel and that was it.
Oxenhope reservoir was lively on the water with Teal, Goldeneye, Goosander etc whilst there was a touch of spring in the air with the first returning Curlews and Oystercatchers.
A massive flock of over 200 Lapwings kept blasting off and relanding in the Shay fields below Soil Hill.
The last few days I,ve been getting fuzzy, soft images which I put down to the weather and bad lighting. I,ve even tried swopping lenses which made no difference. Attempting to take flying Curlews over the reservoir today the focusing packed up all together so it will have to go for repair if ever the shops open again. Probably worn it out with an average of 300 pics a day. Back to the old Canon 7d mk1 tomorrow with its very slow auto focus.
As I left Oxenhope, CK was on his way for the second shift which proved a good move for him as an Iceland gull dropped in along with some more gulls.
After a lot of exchanging of messages and photos yesterday between AC, KM, MP , MC and myself via the Bird News and Alert group we have confirmed there are 3, possibly 4 Iceland gulls in the area between Thornton, Blackmoor Foot, Redcar Tarn and now Oxenhope which has got to be the best year ever for this species in our area. There is also at least 2 Med gulls around as well as a Caspian.
Oxenhope reservoir, (BOG members only.)
8 Curlew
2 Oystercatcher
3m 4f Goldeneye
4 Teal
6m 7f Goosander
23 Canada
sev Mallard
c 200 Lapwing
+ usual sp.
BS