Leeshaw this morning was very wet and very windy with a W>5 at 3 degrees . Full cloud cover was bringing heavy showers through from the west with some sleet, hail and snow.
Despite the weather it was a good morning for gulls with a good count of Herring through >W and around 200 small gulls. Otherwise, about the same as yesterday with Mipits, Pied Wagtails, Stonechat and Little Owl.
Not an afternoon to be walking over the moor so I headed off to Redcar Tarn
where the strong westerly was blowing and again, heavy sleet and snow showers but some lengthy bright periods.
Very lively with gulls on the water with a good count of Herrings and small gulls but only 2 LBBs. My first thought for the above gull was Caspian going by the sharp forehead and small eye but after scouting through the gull bibles I,ve convinced myself to Yellow Legged Herring gull with darker upper parts, bill too short and no winter speckles on neck.
A good show of Tufted duck here and a group of Greylag came in to land with a single Pink Footed among them.
LEESHAW
c 200 small gull
45 Herring gull
1 Greylag
1 Canada
18 Mallard
1 pr Pied Wagtail
2 Little Owl
9 Mipits
1 Stonechat
+ usual sp.
REDCAR TARN
38 Herring
2 LBB
1 YL Herring
40 + Tufted
51 Greylag
1 P F goose
+ usual sp.
BS