An impossible early morn up here on the tops with a gale force SW>6 gusting 7 with heavy horizontal rain and drizzle at 6 degrees. By early afternoon the wind had dropped and the rain down to a very light drizzle before drying up.
Just a very wet dog walk over Foxhill this morning with 28 Common gulls on the, very muddy, football pitch.
After a shopping spree at Keighley I took the dogs to Ogden in hopes of getting a good supply of pre roost gulls on the water which never happened. Just 12 Black Headed and 5 Commons present. A good scan of the water found CSs drake Shoveler at the north end of the water with Mallards but by the time I got along the east bank it had disappeared. Several Mallards were making their way back to the feeding corner so I suspected that is where it would be found .
As I got near the corner I saw Chris on his phone and at that moment my phone rang, from Chris, to say the bird was back near the feeding corner, little knowing I was stood behind him.
A good wildfowl for Ogden but with the bird being fairly well approachable it left me wondering if it was the Wibsey bird that returns to Wibsey each winter.
Very little in the trees other than 2 Goldcrest and 2 Treecreepers ,although I spent very little time searching.
Thanks to Chris for a bit of good spotting.
A message today from Dev and Helen reporting an adult YL Herring gull at Redcar Tarn, Keighley, with photos, as well as the long staying Pintail and Wigeon. A second call and photo from David J and Luke of a stonking 1CY Caspian gull on the river Calder at Mirfield. This was their second Caspian at this site with an adult about a week ago. Keep em coming .
Looking half decent for morning with a very light SW breeze and cloud at minus 1 degrees. Hopefully the fog won,t settle.
BS