A damp start to the morning at Fly Flatts with some very dark clouds on a SE>4 increasing to S>5 mid watch at 7 degrees.
Extremely quiet in the strong wind with even the Ringed Plovers battening down and sheltering from the wind. A few Curlew were up and calling along with a Raven but otherwise it was just down to around 200 noisy Canada,s with several using the floating jetty to roost on so it will soon be the time for me to get out the yard brush again although not accessible at the moment with the gangway to be put in place before the sailing season starts on the 3rd April.
Several Fieldfare and Starling in the Nolstar field but no sign of Whoopers on Cold Edge or Mixenden today.
An afternoon check of Bank Top C.P. for gulls found 23 Herring gulls of all ages ,but mainly 1st winters, along with 3 adult LBBs and several small gulls.
Three female Goosanders were present with 2 males in summer eclipse plumage looking very dull and raggy and far from their brilliant white summer breeding plumage.
Otherwise it was down to a high count of Coot and Moorhen plus the 2 resident Mute Swans and Mallards etc with no Tufted present today.
Check those big gulls, its just a year tomorrow since I had one at Leeshaw reservoir, March being a good month for them.
BS