for vis mig 35 years ago.
Leeshaw is under all that clag.
Paul Clough mast on the left
A few pre roost gulls left.
A real awkward morning fog wise with very dense banks of fog scattered about both on the tops and in the valleys. A very light NW>2 at 3 degrees.
At first light, Queensbury was in the clear with bright blue skies, as was Fly Flatts, but from the bedroom window I could see the fog coming up from the valley over Slaughter Gap and heading for Fly Flatts. Ogden was in dense fog so I took a chance on Leeshaw and Leeming but from the top of Long Causeway I could see that both were shrouded in fog.
Thornton Moor was in the clear so parked up at the reservoir. By the time I'd got geared up the fog was rolling in thick and fast but luckily cleared again after 15 minutes so game on.
Quite a few pre roost gulls still on site but were slowly moving off to the fields before returning late afternoon for the winter gull roost which held up to 10,000 gulls when we used to record it years ago. Luckily, in those days, we had gull experts, Mick and Phil Cunningham in the hide with us picking out the specials, until darkness stopped play.
The water was not up to its usual winter standard with no Goldeneye present though the YW warden told me that there had been Wigeon there on Monday.
A single Teal was among 12 Mallard whilst the highlight was a female Pintail which flew in from the north and landed at the far end of the water but right in the sun and no time to trek back on to the south end again.
Otherwise, 6 Stock Dove, 2 Mistle Thrush and a Kestrel, along with Red Grouse plus Grey and Red Legged Partridge.
This site used to be the pride of Bradford many years ago turning up an amazing number of species when it was well watched, but unfortunately it is rarely used now and the hide which YW built over 30 years ago now stands empty and looking very derelict with its windows smashed. Fortunately, the trees we planted in the 1990s have thrived and are now mature trees.
A wet and misty day given for tomorrow with a moderate sou'westerly increasing to gale force later in the day, which is the build up to severe storm force winds on Friday.
BS