A terrible morning with dense fog and heavy rain throughout the day on the tops with Leeshaw just below the cloud base but very dark and continuous rain on a light NE>2 at 6 degrees.
One of those mornings where you think, do I really want to go out in this, but the dogs wanted walking and if you don,t go, you don,t know, plus its this type of weather that can produce the best birds, which happened this morning.
Leeshaw was poor in the conditions with around 150 BH gulls but very hard to check through in the heavy rain and all the birds facing north, away from me, but nothing that stood out as a Med. Only 2 Herring gulls so they were easily checked.
A good count of Canada and Greylag geese in the big field along with 6 Stock Dove and a mass of Jackdaws and Starlings. Just Mallards and a single Cormorant on the water.
On then to Lower Laithe where the job hit rock bottom with just 6 Black Headed gulls on the water plus a few Mallard.
Disillusioned I set off back but pulled into Leeming reservoir as a last resort to try save the morning.
The rain was coming down in stair-rods but as I was already drenched and the dogs looked like a pair of wet map clarts ( Queensbury word for dish cloths), my mother used to say "I,m just going to map the kitchen floor". Anyway, back on with the dripping waterproofs and dog coats and a short walk to the reservoir for a quick check of the water.
First surprise was an adult Yellow Legged Herring gull on the tower rail, which was the only gull present, other than 3 Black Headed. My first thoughts were Caspian with the long bill but I think this is just a deformity looking at the curvature of the bill. This was quickly followed by a second surprise, a Shelduck on the water. The Shelduck was at distance near the top end of the reservoir but as I got through the gate a Heron spooked the Mallards which took off, as well as the Shelduck, which did a circuit over the water landing up at the south end. With time running out, plus a very muddy path for the dogs I left it be, pleased that the morning had now changed from bad to good.
A few Tufted were on the water as well as a single drake Goosander.
Looks a better day tomorrow, dry on a light NW.
BS