Oxenhope - thank heavens for farmers

I had a run out to Oxenhope this afternoon.
It was a very wet and windy with a temperature of 2 degrees but there was no more white stuff.

First stop was a wet and windy Leeshaw Reservoir.
There was just a few small gulls on the reservoir and I took a picture of them.

Looking at the pictures now (16:00) I believe one bird is a Kittiwake rather that the Common Gull, that I thought it was, as I peered at it, in the rain earlier. 
The bill looks 'more yellow' and a different shape to Common Gull and there is possibly too much black on the head for a Common Gull? 
But knowing my gull ID skills.......

As I was driving away, a large flock of Starling appeared in the fields to my right.
I took a picture of them from inside the car but then I decided to get a better view and went to park the car near the edge of the track out of the way.

I've had some really, really crap ideas in the past but this really did take the 'Garibaldi'.

The front left wheel met with the very soft edge of the track and decided to play silly buggers and slide down into the drainage ditch.

The car is a Hyundai i10 a really, really stupid car!!!
From now on known 'high-and-dry'

With a little bit of imagination I can get 'Houdini',out of the letters in Hyundai i10 but Houdini it certainly was not, as it could not get itself out of the ditch.

I tried stuffing an old material shopping bag that I found in the boot, under the wheel for traction, but the ditch water was half way up the small wheel and the car spat the shopping bag out like a piece of fluff on a sweet.

I scratched my head and stood in the rain for a while then I trudged up the lane to the farmhouse.

I banged on the farmhouse door and hollered down the yard "HOW DO, ANYONE ABOUT' but no answer, was the reply.

2 Big Red Massey Ferguson's stood idle , by the farm gate - I'm sure they were smiling at me.
They made me think of "Watch with Mother" for some reason, don't know why.

I decided I'd have to call someone, but who?

1. The Wife (not bloody likely - I couldn't take the humiliation).

2.The RAC - probably.

3.My best buddy, ace birder and top banana mechanic - Bri - possibly.

As I trudged back down the lane, in the rain, toward the stupid car, a Knight  in shining armour, riding on a splendid White Charger , came up the lane........ well...not really, just the farmer and his missus, just back from t'shop.

I flagged him down.

"Your car int' ditch is it? 
The edge is very soft just there with all the rain and snow of late"
"I'll turn round and get the tow rope."
"I'll pull you out backwards it'll be easier."

10 minutes later all was well with the world again.

I should have taken a picture of the car for the blog , I realise now, but at the time I was thoroughly 'brassed' off.

I did a quick check on Lower Laithe Reservoir but this was bereft of birds,I kept an eye out passing Upper Marsh, for Golden Plover, but didn't see any.

I also had a brief visit to Leeming Reservoir, but I only walked as far as the Reservoir wall, as the rain continued to fall.

There I disturbed a Cormorant that was below the wall. 
There were just a few small gulls about as far as I could see.

Leeshaw:

Lower Laithe:

Leeming: