Scaling Dam today

A brief window of opportunity for a dip in to Scaling was well worthwhile. 2:15 p.m. on the way. As I zoomed along the A171, 8 Whoopers flew low over the car heading inland, I hung a rapid right into the Runswick turning and found they had corrected and were heading straight for Scaling and looking set for touchdown. Back to the car and in to the Yorkshire end car park - no Whoopers. However, the gulls were beginning to roost near the Yorkshire end so I elected to walk around to them - good choice. I flushed a Short-eared Owl off the fence - into the sun unfortunately so no pix - and this eventually headed towards Cleveland over the moor. A redpoll flew over - seemed a maybe mealy but unforunately that kept too. Looked through the gulls, no joy there. Reasonable count of Goldeneye (total at least 16 including the Cleveland ones). But a Long-tailed Duck showed, not the usual one, an adult type bird - rather distant and in poor light I thought it was a female. A bit more of a hunt around located the usual scruffy 1stW. Down at the Cleveland end the food had run out so nothing on the feeders and it looked as if the ducks had been disturbed.Walked to the fishing centre building and had another go at the gulls - but distant and just 1500 Common Gulls and a few odds and ends. The adult LT Duck was in the gull roost and being quite aggressive to the Common Gulls. Spot the LT Duck above .....