At last, a morning that was a pleasure to be out in. Very light S>2 with good visibility on full cloud at minus 1 degree. The lagoon and puddles were frozen over but the reservoir was free of ice and calm as a mill pond.
The annual Ringed Plover that I have been waiting for was present this morning, right on schedule and the earliest yet with the previous 3 years arrival being, 9th, 8th and 12th of Feb. The female should arrive within the next few days, usually with another 1 or 2 males which move on leaving the original pair which stay until mid July. I hope they like snow, with some on the way, although they were in deep snow for a week last year which never bothered them.
The single Oystercatcher has now paired up with a mate, possibly last years successful breeders, whilst a Curlew was over near the wind turbines. Three Lapwings were also present on the west bank.
Passerine -wise, 5 Reed Bunting were near the lagoon and a single Stonechat was in the compound and 3 separate Barn Owls were spotted in the distance.
Pink Footed geese were on the move this morning, obviously in front of the approaching front heading our way tomorrow, allegedly, with 2 skeins seen from Fly Flatts of approx 100, and a smaller skein of around 50 at 0950 hrs. The skeins were far to the west of me looking to be coming in my direction, SE but they disappeared below the western ridge, not to re-appear so must have veered round west.
Another skein of around 100 Pinks >W were seen from Castle Carr Road at 1010 hrs by DJS and then a skein >W over Cooper Lane, Shelf were reported at 1205hrs by my Shelf Moor look-out, Peter Turner.
When driving home through Wainstalls I stopped to snap a skein of Greylags heading for Cold Edge Dams which counted at c65 by DJS who also got them.
Its forecasting a full day of snow tomorrow on a strong easterly but they,ve back peddled on Fridays snow with rain instead from midnight Thursday.
BS