A brilliant morning to get back onto the tops at Leeshaw reservoir with clear blue skies and sunshine at minus 2 degrees on a biting NW>3. No freezing on the water but the track up to the reservoir is sheet ice so it was a park and walk job.
Very few gulls with all the surrounding fields snow covered and frozen with just around 50 small gulls on the water along with 7 Herring. The usual Mallard and 2 Canadas are all that could be found on the water whilst 16 Goldfinch were feeding in the Alders and 14 Fieldfare were mobile around the area.
Unlike me to do a park but my annual visit mid afternoon to check the gull situation and see if the Shoveler had returned for the third winter, which pleasingly it had and was well settled in among the mass of 38 Tufted and several Mallard. Lots of Moorhen and Coot present along with 5 Mute Swan, all confined to a small area of water with 80% of the lake froze over. Luckily the free water allowed them access to the island.
No gulls on the ice or small portion of water but around 200 small gulls on the playing fields
nearby but no time to go and check through them. Walking back up through the park I stopped to watch a group of Goldfinch high in a tree ,when 2 Greenfinch appeared, a rare sighting around this area over the last couple of years.
Another freeze tonight after a slight thaw late afternoon today and promise of another good day tomorrow with a bit more cloud.
BS