Gt Northern Diver at Ringstone edge

The Day Started with a trip up to whiteholme reservoir to see if the 8 Bar tail Godwits where still about . As I drove through the sheeting rain the higher up the moor i drove the foggier it got. When i got to Whiteholme it was fog bound you couldn't see 10 feet. 2 Minutes later i was on my way to Ringstone edge. The rain was bouncing down so i parked the car at the feeding station so it wasn't coming in through the windows and was surprised with the number of birds

Nearly 70 a mixture of the normal Greenfinch and Goldfinch but today i had 26 chaffinch 7 Blue tits plus the usual Robins and Dunnocks. I looked across the reservoir to the hide and saw a few Snipe on the shore and thought about going down but the weather was appalling . I drove to the East bank and saw a wet Wheatear hoping around the shore . I Thought i must get a shot of that for the blog as there hasn't been many this Autumn at Ringstone. I then drove down to the paddock and had a quick look. The rain had stopped so i thought id go down to the hide .

I opened the windows to the hide and got the 2 Snipe near the West pool, a few Gulls were messing around by the East Tower making a noise, i ignored them but they kept on so i got my scope on them and there not 20 foot from where i had sat taking shots of Wheatear was a Diver . It Dove straight away . God a Diver , i phoned John B straight away and just said "Diver ringstone now could be Gt Northern" "Im on the way" the phone went dead. I rang Dave S and said Diver Species ringstone now, he was talking me through ID on Red Throated and i was saying no its got huge bill ,neck collar, big bird . I got a few shots from a distance and then locked the hide and ran back to the car . As i drove back to the East tower and parked up i couldn't locate it. John Turned up jumped out and there it was right over the West side. Gt Northern he said straight away "makes the reservoir look small". As the morning went on Dave S turned up then Tim and Dave T, Dave P from Huddersfield . The bird showed well, as the rain stopped and the reservoir calmed down to a Mill Pond. Everybody went and then John Watson turned up ,i had phoned him early and he came up in his dinner time. The Diver moved closer to the east shore and i told him i was going to get a better shot. I Slowly raised my camera and took a few shots from over the wall, the bird had seen me but didn't seem to be bothered then to my surprise it raised it head and puffed up it Throat and let out the most magical Call. Still not moving it did it again and again i took a few more shots and retreated. My Phone was ringing , it was John W from across the other side of the res " Did you hear that, Fantastic" he said. I will never forget it. Good old Ringstone.