With dense fog banks around this morning to the east and west of me I took a gamble on Leeshaw reservoir which paid off with clear blue sky and sunshine on a W>4 gusting 5 at 7 degrees. Full cloud by 0930 hrs but remaining clear.
Gulls were back this morning with around 40 Herring and 10 LBB but very flighty in the wind and eventually heading off >W. A small group landed on the far north shore briefly just giving me time to pick out a very bright headed gull with a deformed bill. the bright white head, dark eye and snouty look made it a good contender for Caspian, possibly the same deformed bill Caspian I had over Fly Flatts in October but will have to check my photos. It was very distant and in the heat shimmer so photo no good for any plumage details.
Right next to it, to the left of the rock was a 2 CY Herring gull with pale yellow legs but they all blasted off before I could get anything else on it. Very few small gull present and all the usual gull fields empty looking like the gulling season if coming to an end. Most of the Common gulls have now left Foxhill Park and the Raggalds football pitches.
No waders as yet other than 2 Redshank and the usual Curlews, Lapwings and Oystercatchers and only the geese and Mallard on the water with the mandarin duck moved on. The single, long staying, Pink Footed goose was in with the Greylags and seems like it has made Leeshaw its new home.
Looks like a bright but cold day tomorrow with a light WSW wind starting off at 4 degrees.
BS