new 2cy scapulars.
The, now expected, foggy morning with dense fog on the tops and Ogden in a mix of fog banks, low cloud and mist. Visibility over the water but thick banks of fog moving through and no visibility above.
Dead calm then light SE>1 at 9 degrees.
With vis mig now out of my thoughts, with 75% of the season missed through bad weather and lack of birds, its now down to just the winter birds moving in and the stragglers moving out, although there should still be a big move of Woodpigeons which are the last to go.
Hard work at Ogden with the dark conditions making it as black as night looking through the waterside trees where very few birds were found other than Blackbirds and Mistle Thrush on the Rowan berries plus just the usual Tits, Robin, Wrens and Dunnocks, several being up in full song. No sign of Redwing as yet.
Plenty activity around the newly filled feeders with a single Nuthatch plus the usual species. Nothing on the water other than Mallard, 2 Goosander and several gulls, mainly Black Headed with about a dozen Commons and 8 LBBs. Just 3 Herring gull near and on the east bank with 2 adults on the water making me look twice as one was obviously larger and a slightly darker mantel plus bulkier head making me think Yellow Legged but as the came ashore it was obvious they were a pair, showing the size difference between male and female.
The 1cy Herring pictured was probably the bird I had a few days back which MC brought to my attention. This bird shows new 2cy scapulars meaning an early moult where YLs start to moult late summer/ early autumn but Herring gulls don't start to moult until winter, ( Peter Adriaens et al, Gulls of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East ).
A stronger northerly for morning bringing some rain and again putting visibility as poor, no change there then.
BS