Another very foggy morning but Leeshaw was just below the cloud base with decent horizontal visibility on a light SE>2 turning S>3 mid morn at 4 degrees. A mix of rain and drizzle throughout the watch though rain is no problem as long as its not getting blown horizontally with a strong wind.
The same sightings as yesterday, less any Whooper activity, plus an extra Redshank arrival, with now 4 present, along with the usual 26 Oystercatchers, Curlews, Lapwings, geese etc.
Very few gulls with around 50 small, 2 LBBs and 4 Herring whilst a few Mistle Thrush were mobile around the fields but I have,nt had Fieldfare and Redwing for quite a while now.
Thanks to Pete Smith for the text informing me of 2 male Common Scoter this afternoon on Blackstone Edge. A good early report by my records with my first sightings in April then a lull through May peaking in June and July.
Apart from Common Scoter on the move, a heads up from MC reporting Black Tailed Godwits now moving so something else to look out for.
Strong winds and rain forecast for the rest of the week but at least the wind is away from the east with a sou'wester so hopefully no fog.
With all the Whoopers moving through this month I checked back on records for Bewick's Swan to see what the chances are, which look very slim. The nearest sightings I,ve had was many years ago when HC and myself used to do an annual winter pilgrimage to the flooded fields at Wheldraks Ings and Bubwith where there was always a presence in with the hundreds of Whoopers.
Many years ago in this area they were more common than Whoopers with Ringstone being a hot-spot for big numbers but have now vastly disappeared from local areas.
On my local waters the records are as follows 1950 to 1995 when after that sightings are very grim :-
Fly Flatts Bewick's
Dec 1960............ 15
Nov 1975........... 11
Dec 1983........... 2
Oct 1995............ 4
Ogden Bewick's
Dec 1962......... 4
Apr 1969......... 1
Jan 1983.......... 4
Shibden Valley Bewick's
Oct 1977........ 2 >>S flyovers.
Mixenden Bewick's
March 1993........... 2
Above references courtesy of :-
Vertebrate Fauna of Halifax Parish 1965
Halifax Scientific Society, Irvine Morley.
The Birds of Halifax 2000
Compiled by N.C. Dawtrey.
BS