Another bright and breezy morning with a SW>6 gusting 7 and increasing throughout the day. Very poor none photographic light with full cloud at 7 degrees.
Keeping below the worst of the wind I headed to Horton Bank Top, once again with Shoveler in mind but on arrival it was soon apparent that it was, once again , one step in front of me after missing it at Harold Park and Park Dam and now here.
As with other local waters, a few species were missing with no Goosander, Gt Crested Grebe or Geese with just the usual Mallard, Coot, Moorhen, 2 Mute Swan and a single Heron. Just 16 BH gull, 1 Common and 15 Herring were present, this being a good spot for Herring gull but I've yet to find a Yellow Legged here.
As I was leaving near the top of the track I turned back just in time to see 6 Cormorant coming in to land which is a bit of a rare species for this site.
On then to Wibsey Park where, whilst checking through the gulls, I finally caught up to the very mobile female Shoveler. This is my first female this year with 2 sightings from Ogden and 2 from Wibsey but all drakes so good to catch up with it, just showing how wildfowl move around these 4 areas of water.
An amazing count of Tufted duck here with a minimum of 40 birds, all checked for Scaup, but no joy.
Around 120 Black Headed gull and 2 Common but no big gulls present, with a good count of 39 Canada and 18 Greylag. Otherwise just the usual park lake species along with 2 Mute Swan and another site with no Goosander.
The end of a very poor year bird-wise with a few highlights but a ton of missing species, especially waders and wildfowl. Looking back at my records, this is the worst species count since 2016 with Fly Flatts providing me with nothing of great interest since the end of August. Hopefully, this is just a blip and 2025 will be a year for the record books !!!
Just had a call from BV to report a Red Necked Grebe on Leeshaw Reservoir today but too late, wet and windy now so hopefully it will hang fast until tomorrow. That would be a good start off to the new year.
More wind and rain for tomorrow but a slightly less wind speed.
Wishing you all a Happy New Year and hope all your birding dreams come true.
All the very best for 2025. If you're letting off fireworks please do it quietly, I'll be in bed!!
BS