A nice sunrise as I headed to Mixenden reservoir but this soon gave way to heavy snow showers moving over in banks of mist on a NW>3 at minus 1 degree. A few clear patches in between the showers but by 0930 hrs the snow was looking serious and the roads covering so it was get back to Queensbury while I still could.
Another good gull morning though less than yesterday with around 250 small gulls along with 4 LBBs and 15 Herring. Good to see Dan B scoping the gulls looking for a GBB, and ironically, 15 minutes after he had left the gulls blasted off before settling again, the cause being a belting adult Great Blacked Gull which dropped down onto the ice at the back of the gulls towering over them.
The bird was constantly mobbed and after flying a couple of circuits and re-landing again it set of climbing high and west.
The last gull photo above was an interesting one being LBB sized with pink legs but too small for a GBB yet too dark mantled for a graellsii LBB. Its head was well streaked and I can only put this down as LBB intermedious which has retained its pink legs. This is possibly the same pink legged from yesterday though the bright sun on yesterdays bird made it look lighter and browner mantled. I think a Baltic fuscus would darker than this and photo not good enough for any details.
A few Mallard on the water as well as a male Tufted whilst around 12 Redpoll and a couple of Siskin were on the usual Alders.
A bit milder tomorrow at 3 degrees with a threat of rain and a moderate sou'wester.
BS