Visited Stainby today to see if owt was about. The tip has now wound down, very little waste now being brought in. As a consequence hardly any gulls around, or kites, just a couple seen.
I then drove over to Kilvington to look for gulls, as an adult glauc had been seen there yesterday. Such an interesting birding place, there is nearly always something of note. A great place to learn gulls, the distant viewing makes you look harder. A telescope is essential. No luck with the glauc but the redhead smew that seemed settled there, probably for the winter, showed well. Ed Staunton arrived for his daily patch check and we scanned the gulls. I picked up a 1st winter med, then Ed got onto an adult yellow-legged gull closely followed by a peregrine perched on a pylon that seemed about ten miles away. Four great birds in a short session.

It was very mild again for the time of year, there was a lovely carpet of wild violets growing near the viewing seat, some in flower.

17 Dec 2015 https://t.co/l8aEHcuquk https://t.co/I1OOD6RRSf