Fog on the tops early morn but Leeshaw clear with dark clouds and early drizzle causing black ice on the track with a S>3 at 1 degree.
An excellent morning with the Red Necked Grebe into its 6th day since it was first sighted, along with good but distant views of a Barn Owl over the water. A single Pink Footed goose was in with the Greylags though very few geese present with just 15 Greylags and 2 Canadas. Nothing else on the water apart from Mallards whilst around 40 BH gull, 10 Common and 3 Herring were present as well as a Cormorant.
A Stonechat was briefly on the banking and 4 House Sparrows were unusual for this site. Otherwise all the usual species but no sign of the Dipper down in the beck today.
On the way home, a mixed flock of around 30 Fieldfare and Redwing were in the Raggalds Flood field along with 6 Lapwing and a few small gulls.
Least said about tomorrows forecast the better with a ton of snow forecast so tomorrow will probably be game over, and with a week of low temperatures it will take some shifting. The forecasters are once again getting carried away, giving out life threatening conditions and warning people to stay indoors, but it is mid winter and only snow which we expect every year. Its a good job they did,nt see snow that we used to get in the fifties and sixties with drifts higher than a double decker bus.
BS