The weather not half as bad as expected with a dry morning and just a moderate SSW>5 at 6 degrees with full cloud. The wind increased slightly after midday but still reading, ' Nobbut a stiff breeze', on the Queensbury Beaufort Scale.
A lower count of gulls present with around 250 small and 54 Herring whilst Lapwings were up to 50+ along with 16 Oystercatchers and 2 Curlew.
The water held 12 Mallard as well as the Red Necked Grebe which is still attracting distant travelling birders after all this time. The main of the twitchers seem to be Lancastrians from west of the border all seeming delighted to see it. The Grebe will soon be going into its third month here.
The resident pair of Little Owl were back on site this morning after being absent all winter where they move to a more sheltered position in the farm buildings.
Only half the goose population present this morning with short of 200 mixed Canadas and Greylags
And otherwise down to large flocks of the usual Jackdaws, Woodpigeons, Starlings, Crows and Magpies .
On the way back, a stop off at Leeming reservoir to see if the Caspian was present but strangely not a big gull in sight with just 2 Black Headed along with Canadas, Cormorant, Heron and Mallard plus the usual species.
Annoyingly, as I passed Leeming early morn, on the way to Leeshaw, there was a large group of Herrings in the centre of the water which I should have checked there and then but wanted to get Leeshaw done before the weather broke.
A call from MC, out gulling today reporting his Huddersfield birding mate JW found a juv Iceland gull in the Flappit fields, so one to look out for. The ones I have had in the passed have been mid Feb early March. Mick has turned up about 4, possibly 5 different Caspians, an adult Med gull and Yellow Legged Herrings in the last week or so all locally, Redcar Tarn, Flappit fields and Sugden old tip area.
Looking like an improving day tomorrow with chance of rain in the morning but some sun in the afternoon on a moderate sou'westerly at 8 degrees.