My favourite weather conditions at Leeshaw this morning with full cloud, drizzle showers and light rain on a moderate SW>4 at 14 degrees.
Very quiet on the small migrants in the brisk wind with just a few Meadow Pipits and 2 Willow Warblers present with several Swallows over the water but the House and Sand Martins seem to have moved on.
A decent gull count with over 100 Black Headed on the shore as well as 12 LBB and a single Common gull . Still a single Curlew present along with 3 Oystercatchers and around 100 Lapwing.
Otherwise just 4 Goosander, 2 Cormorant and the usual species.
With 5 minutes to go to knocking off time things were getting desperate for a decent bird when a very white looking gull was coming head on towards me but very high and distant. As it got within range I could see it was an Egret, but expecting Little Egret, until I got it in the scope and was gobsmacked to find Great White Egret. I snapped some distant record shots then waited for it to come to the reservoir but unfortunately it turned from coming in from the NE and disappeared out to the SE.
The last Great White I got at Leeshaw was 2/11/2023, with 2 Little Egrets last month and this. A great bird to get in this area. A quick stop off at Leeming reservoir on the way home to make sure it had'nt come down at that location.
A bit brighter day tomorrow with a moderate westerly increasing in strength from mid morning.
BS