A wild and dark start to the morning at Leeshaw, after an unusual powerful winter thunderstorm last night, with a moderate SW>5 and heavy drizzle showers clearing into short sunny spells and dry at 3 degrees. Fortunately the wind is not too much of an issue at this site being fairly well sheltered with the higher ground moorland and fields surrounding the reservoir.
A better day for gulls moving through in the wind with 14 Herring and several small gulls all >W with some stopping off at the water briefly. Still no sign of the large goose flock with just 11 Greylags and the ever present Canada goose which has a broken wing so is destined to stay on or around the reservoir.
A Barn Owl was quartering the moor but well in the distance whilst a Merlin skimmed past, very nearly taking a Blackbird in flight. This is only my 3rd Merlin sighting this year.
A few Redwing and Fieldfare were moving around and a tight group of 6 Siskin headed >S.
A call from NK this afternoon reported a skein of Pink Footed Geese heading my way towards Queensbury but managed to avoid me by passing to the north of Foxhill, probably keeping low in the strong wind. A further text from DJS reported Waxwings up Pellon Lane in Halifax, certainly a good winter for this species.
I,ve added a link on my blog to E-Bird which seems to be gathering momentum with birders, though I don,t like the silly names they put the bird on as, what was wrong with the good old bird names I,ve grown up with. Everything now is Eurasian and even game birds are,nt safe with Ring Necked Pheasants and Red Grouse now being Willow Ptarmigan. Im still calling a Little Grebe a Dabchick!.
I,m putting a few of my birds on the site but mainly I find it very useful to see what birds are about in the area as several of the local blog sites are now near redundant and rarely updated. The E-Bird link I,ve put on is for the West Yorkshire region, though other areas can be found once on the site.
A calmer start to the morning but still plenty rain forecast. Its a shame its not Spring or Autumn with the number of flooded fields around.
BS