Thick fog on the tops this morning but Leeshaw Reservoir started off with clear blue sky with broken cloud and sunshine. The day slowly deteriorated with full cloud cover and by mid afternoon at Fly Flatts the wind had increased from W>3 to W>5 with drizzle clouds moving through.
A good start at Leeshaw with 10 Wigeon on the water and around 280 gulls on the water and shore. Strangely no Herrings present but plenty LBBs among the Black Headed and Commons.
Plenty sky movement but Redwings well under counted due to checking out the gulls and photographing the Wigeon. A big Redwing day going by Trektellen and several other reports from around the area.
One hour at Fly Flatts mid afternoon in poor conditions provided a better count of Redwings with flocks still coming through over the west moor all low down out of the wind and horizontal drizzle. Otherwise it was very quiet apart from a heart stopping moment when a bird flushed from the dyke flying low about 50 yards further on and dropping into the deep reeds not to be re located.
First thought was Meadow Pipit but it had dark brown plain plumage and plain face making me 90% sure it was Rock Pipit but only seeing it for seconds I can,t be certain. Hopefully it will stay around to confirm it, otherwise I will have to let it go as one of those annoying sightings that you wish you had,nt seen.
LEESHAW
10 Wigeon...............on water
49 LBB gull
27 Common gull
c 200 BH gull
2 Cormorant
13 Greylag on shore
38 Greylag.............>W
86 Starling.............>NW
54 Woodpigs.........>S
138 Redwing........>SE
+ usual sp.
FLY FLATTS
920 Redwing...........>SE largest flock 120
BS