A strange morning with clear blue skies and sunshine as I was getting up at 0630 hrs and then by 0700 hrs thick fog. I took a gamble on Leeshaw being clear, but even there the fog was down, but a little cleared than higher up, with visibility half way across the water with a very light E>1 at 1 degree. The fog finally started to clear at 1000 hrs as I was tackling up.
Despite the awkward condition the area was alive with birds with a good count of 21 Oystercatchers, over 150 Lapwing, 2 Curlew and a Redshank.
Several small gulls moving around the nearby fields where the farmer has been muck spreading but only 2 Herring gulls seen.
Treble figures of both Greylag and Canada geese plus a few Mallard and a Cormorant but nothing else on the water with a last minute check when the fog cleared.
At 0945 hrs I heard Pink Footed Goose contact calls so reset the camera ready but they came right overhead, very noisy, but up in the clouds >W so heard only.
This afternoon we had just got in from a shopping spree when I looked out of the window to see a female Sparrowhawk sat by the bird feeders. I shouted to Lynda to stay away from the window then shot upstairs for the camera. Luckily the Canon 7d Mk2 has super fast auto focus, as Lynda twigged what was going on, so I'd just time to get half a dozen pics out of the bedroom window before Lynda flung the downstairs window open and started wazzing the dogs toys at the Sprawk to get rid of it.
The Sparrows took advantage of this distraction and flew out of the Laurel tree in all directions and the Sprawk flew off bird-less.
In with a chance in the morning with a cloudy day but a moderate northerly which will hopefully keep the fog at bay.
BS