Good weather and good birds to start the year off with with a SW>4 and broken clouds with sunshine
at a mild 10 degrees.
Early morn at Leeshaw was very lively with a good count of 10 Goosander on the water but unfortunately no Smew among them. Herring gulls piled through, settling on the water before moving off >W, with birds of all ages present. Around 200 small gulls were on the water along with a single Cormorant and 38 Mallard. A small flock of Lapwing were very mobile.
A shopping outing midday produced a small skein of trans Pennine Pink Footed Geese east to west over the Range up Pellon Lane, Halifax at 1220 hrs.
Mid afternoon at Mixenden found that yesterdays 5 Goldeneye had moved on leaving just gulls on the water with around 150 small gulls, 1 ad LBB and 6 Herrings.
A couple of noisy Ravens flew >W over the plantation whilst the usual Gt, Blue and Coal tits were in the waterside trees along the west bank.
More geese came over east to west at 1425 hrs well to the south of the reservoir, possibly over Halifax so a good start to the year with a camera full of photos and a notebook full of species. I wonder how many people still carry note books now or are they a thing of the past. At one time a birders note book was the most important part of a birders equipment , before the days of zoom lenses, and I still religiously always carry mine with me.
I,ve seen some amazing note books in my time with detailed sketches of birds for i.d. purposes, with some of the sketches good enough to publish, MCs is a perfect example. This does not include mine as art was never one of my top subjects usually coming 12th in class which my mother though was not too bad until she found out there was only 12 in the class.
Leeshaw
4m 6f Goosander
1 Cormorant
16 Lapwing
185 Herring gull
c 200 Small gull
38 Mallard
+ usual sp.
Halifax
1 skein of 52 Pinks.........>W
Mixenden
2 Raven
1 LBB gull
6 Herring gull
c 150 small gull
1 skein of 54 Pinks......>W
+ usual sp.
BS