Lake Café

We had a few errands to run today, so we were out and about.

We called at Ing Royde near the Skircoat Moor area in Halifax and I took a few pictures of the birds enjoying lunch on or near the feeders.

It was a windy day with short-lived heavy showers so we opted for a trip to Hollingworth Lake, but we did a 10 min. stop on the Sowerby Bridge new road bridge area to look for the Little Egret. There was a Heron on the riverside and 2 Goosander and 2 Moorhen on the river but no sign of the Little Egret.

Hollingworth Lake was quite busy, given the poor weather, and after a bit of lunch in the Olive & Pickle watching the rain outside (cafe's well worth a visit) , we did a circuit of the lake.

We donned the waterproof gear but the showers missed us completely!

We joined the lakeside path behind the pub near the car park but left the main path at the first opportunity by taking a cobbled path on the right after the second corner. A good path rises and turns left through farm buildings before dropping down to pass a small pond over to our right. The path then become  a stone causey that shadows a wall and circles to the left giving super views over the lake. At the top we took a right over a stile to follow the wall to reach another good track. We went right to the caravan park shop for any ice cream before exiting onto the road that comes around to the large white Wine Press pub on the lakeside.

The lake held the usual gulls, Mallard and Canada Geese. After DJS’s recent Med. Gull sighting, I gave the Black Headed Gulls a good looking at but I could not turn one into a Med. Gull.

However I believe I've got an adult Herring Gull but with reservations - please see pic.

I find gull ID very difficult!!

The small pond by the farm held c12 Teal as far as I could make out (the clouds had darkened things somewhat at this point) and 3 Moorhen and a few Coots. The fields near the caravan site held a Heron and a couple of Pied Wagtail among others.

On our return to the lake we spotted 2 Mute Swan, 4 Cormorant, 4 Coot and a Great Crested Grebe.

We had a pleasant stroll with the added bonus of not getting wet.

Hollingworth Lake:

Not sure if this is a LBBG or Herring Gull

I believe this to be a Herring gull but the yellow spot on the bill should be red?

The eye colouring looks wrong as well?/

Gulls are daunting.