A real mish mash of weather this morning at Leeshaw reservoir with one minute, blue skies and sunshine, the next minute a blasting rain, hail, sleet and snow shower. The wind was SW>5 but reaching gale force 8 as the showers moved through. A couple of the showers were some of the worst I,ve experienced with black skies and visibility down to a few feet due to the intensity of the driven hail and sleet. Luckily you can see it coming over the moor giving you time to get the dogs in the car and shelter behind the tailgate. The temperature was 3 degrees but not feeling particularly cold.
Just a few small gulls in the goose field and on the rough water so an easy check today with the majority of gulls heading straight through >W as well as 5 Herrings. Just a single male Goosander on the water plus the usual Mallards but the water very rough with a deep swell, white horses and water gushing down the overflow.
Thrushes and Starling were the birds of the day with around 300 Starling as well as a flock of around 200 Fieldfare and 100 Redwing along with 50 + Mistle Thrush.
The thrushes were very mobile moving from field to field but always dropping into the more sheltered fields out of sight. The birds seemed to fly more during the heavy showers unperturbed by the lashing rain. At least 4 Meadow Pipit were also present.
More rain and gales for tomorrow but at least it keeps the fog at bay.
BS.