Opposite to yesterdays Pinks these were far to the north of me heading >W
On full contrast to get a count.
A record count of small gulls.
After a bright day yesterday this morning was back to the mist and drizzle on the tops though Leeshaw was reasonable but a low cloud base and damping, brightening mid watch. A light SW>3 increasing 4 at a temp of 9 degrees.
A record count of gulls this morning with plenty muck spreading going on which seems to be attracting gulls from far and wide with an estimated 600 present, mainly small but several LBB and Herring.
Several Greylag geese were moving >SE very high whilst a single Wheatear was on the shore. Packing up at 1000 hrs and a last scan round produced 3 large skeins of Pink Footed Geese well to the distant north of me and heading >W, in contrast to yesterdays geese being well to the south of me and heading >E. Well out of camera range with a 300mm lens but got the dots in the sky and put them on full contrast to get the shape of the skein and a count. The second 2 skeins were a scoping job looking like they would have been over Lower Laithe at least. The birds soon disappeared in the thick cloud to the west.
An hour at Fly Flatts mid p.m. produced very little compared to the activity at Leeshaw,
its amazing how there can be c 600 gulls at Leeshaw and 1 Black Headed at Fly Flatts when the reservoirs are only 2 mile apart.
A group of Herring gulls went over >SW in the dark black clouds whilst 8 Stonechat were moving around the area. Its getting well into cross over time now with birds coming in and birds moving out with a small group of Redwing over the west moor heading>SW down the Calder Valley.
Leeshaw Reservoir
c 600 Gulls, 70 Black Headed
Sev Herring , LBB and Common gull
2 Cormorant
1 Wheatear
18 Greylag ....>SE
12 Lapwing
1 Grey Wagtail
541 Pinkies............>W. 3 Skeins, 135, 230, 176.
+ usual sp.
Fly Flatts
4 Kestrel
8 Stonechat
12 Herring gull.........>SW
7 Redwing................>SW
1 Pied Wagtail
BS