Good reservoir watching conditions though poor for photos with dark full cloud and heavy drizzle showers on a light W>3 at 9 degrees.
Plenty going off this morning with the right sort of weather for reservoir watching with a good count of Lesser Black Backed gulls through >W with some stopping off briefly on the water whilst others passed straight through low over the water. An estimate figure of around 200 passed through, the majority being adults. Around 50 Black Headed were among them but no Terns which I was expecting, and strangely no Herring gulls.
Curlews were also on the move with 8 birds through high and >W with still 2 present along with several Lapwings, the latter being mostly this years birds but still one or two in the fields with late chicks.
An amazing number of Greylags with goslings this year, both at Leeshaw and Fly Flatts with both Canada and Greylags mostly ready for fledging apart from a small number of late starters. Mallards have also done well at Leeshaw with a good number of almost fledged young.
A decent amount of exposed shore now, both in the SW corner and along the north bank with 4 Oystercatchers and a single Common Sandpiper present but looking like the annual Little Ringed Plovers have missed this year.
Lots of Swallows, House Martins Goldfinch and Meadow Pipits around but Whinchat absent so far this year as well as Little Owl, which seem to be on the decline in this area, which was once a hotspot along with several other areas. Last year I only had 1 Little Owl sighting and none this year so far.
Looking cloudy for morning with a moderate NW so could be another good reservoir morning.
BS