√Skircoat Redwings and Leeshaw Reservoir, Oxenhope

We had a visit to Sue's dad this morning and took a quick look on Saville Park (The Moor) on the way home, for the Redwings.

We were in luck, approaching St.Jude's church from the chippy c20 Redwing were feeding on the football fields.
A nice sight to see on the moor.
A Mistle Thrush was feeding higher up also.

There could well have been more than 20 Redwing.
They were very skittish, retreating to the trees at frequent intervals.

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Leeshaw Reservoir - Oxenhope

13:30 - 14:15

A cold, windy place this!! (A lot like Bradshaw).
Frequent, heavy cold showers and lots of water on the reservoir road.
The farmer looks to have done a good job with the drains higher up though.

The reservoir is full to the brim and most of the Gulls were very distant over to the NW.

I struggle with large Gull I.D's, especially at this distance, but there were Lesser Black Backed Gulls here today!

The usual small Gulls were present, I didn't eyeball any Kittiwakes as far as I am aware.

3 Goosanders, out on the water, soon disappeared under the banking out of the wind.
A couple of Mallard and 2 Cormorant were here also and that was about it.

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I went home from Oxenhope, where a real gem of  a wall has been built,via the Fly Flats road.

The road, part stream, has suffered with large craters now appearing in it.

Fly Flats reservoir was bereft of birds, as far as I could tell from my distant vantage point on the road.

The high winds and rain were testing a Kestrel's abilities to hover and hunt.

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You will be pleased to hear that while I was at Sue's dads I had a quick flick through his joke book.
Sit down because this is a real belly buster joke.

Mr Smith went to see the doctor.
He was very worried because he had found a piece of a green leafy stuff sticking out of his bottom.

The doctor examined him and looked very serious.
Mr Smith said "Give me the worst about this green leaf thing, Doc".
I don't want to worry you unnecessarily. 

I think that this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Lesser Black-backed Gull top?

This bird looked too large for Common Gull

probably a Herring Gull