With Fly Flatts still shrouded in fog it was another trip to Leeshaw where it was full cloud but good visibility on a milder NE>3 at 3 degrees. The fog had almost cleared from the tops by 10:00 hrs.
The gull count was a little better today with around 80 Black Headed, 12 Common, 11 Herring and 4 LBB whilst 19 Curlew were still in a distant field. The big goose field was quieter this morning with 26 Oystercatchers along with Lapwings and Woodpigeon but only 6 Canada and 2 Greylag present.
The top track-side field held around 150 Starlings all busy feeding whilst the 2 Redshank were getting constantly moved on by nesting Lapwings.
At 09:30hrs I heard the contact calls of Whooper Swans sounding close but not yet in sight so a quick swop of lenses from the Canon 300mm to the Canon 70-200mm just in time as a skein of 47 Whoopers appeared out of the low cloud to my SW heading >W before veering >N as they disappeared into the mist over the moor top. This was followed by another 3 skeins of 26, 14 and 17 following the same flight path totalling 104 Whoopers over in a 20 minute period.
An active weekend, continuing today, with good counts of local Whooper flyovers as well as swans on Ogden VJ et al, Fly Flatts PB and Mixenden NK.
The last of the easterlies in the morning turning south bringing a wet and windy week but hopefully tomorrow will be the last of the fog, who am I trying to kid !!!
BS