Mayday morning fog. Leeshaw.

 

LEESHAW                Water level dropping

                                    First signs of shore

                                    Curlew bathing

                                    Herring gulls on the water

                                    plus Lesser Black Backed

                                    Down to 8 Oystercatchers

                                    Dipper in the beck

NED HILL TRACK

                                    Buzzard overhead.

As expected, the light east breeze piled the fog in remaining dense on the tops until mid morning.

   As usual, Leeshaw remained just below the cloud base leaving a misty, damp start but soon picking up.

  Much quieter at the moment with breeding going on and the large group of Oystercatchers now mostly dispersed with just 8 remaining. A single Common Sandpiper and Redshank were present as well as the usual Curlews and Lapwings along with a low count of Herring and LBB gull on the water.

    Plenty geese present with 3 pair of Greylag with goslings but not good to watch one poor gosling swallowed whole by a Heron.

   Swallows were the bird of the morning with around 50 counted moving through >W.

     A bright, calm afternoon so swopped the Foxhill dog walk for another dabble at the Ned Hill track with target bird, Whitethroat.

   This again did'nt happen but a better result than yesterday, in the calmer conditions, with Buzzard, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Skylark and Kestrel but, once again, nothing moving through the Col.

    A similar day tomorrow weatherwise but a stronger NE wind and the threat of another foggy morning.

BS