A breezy Fly Flatts

 

                                    3 Common Sandpiper now present.

A dark cloudy morning at Fly Flatts with full cloud cover on a moderate SW >5 gusting 6 at 8 degrees but feeling much colder in the wind. Light rain by 0945 hrs.

    Sand Martins and Swallows were the highlight of the morning with a steady flow of both species low over the water >SE drying up by 0830 hrs. Approx 50 Swallows and 20 Sand Martins through.

    Just 7 Wheatear this morning plus 6 Pied Wagtails and a pair of Stonechat along with several Meadow Pipits.

   Common Sandpiper were up to 3 along with 4 Oystercatchers and 6 Redshank plus the usual Curlews and Lapwings. A single Raven was being mobbed by Curlews.

  Apologies for yesterdays blog which is now published below todays. I was quickly skimming through the RNLI lifeboat live web cams last night and got involved watching Hornsea lifeboat launching and completely forgot that my blog was ready but not published. 

    A 50% chance of rain early morn but soon clearing to leave a bright day on a moderate westerly starting off at 7 degrees.

BS

Another day, another Fly Flatts. Thursday April 16th/

                                    Fresh wave of Wheatears present
 

                                    At least 14 seen

                               Still stuck at 2 Common Sandpipers

                                    1 Pair Stonechat

                                    Distant Buzzard

                                    Dropping onto prey

                                    Came away with nothing.

                                    2 Golden Plover.

A mish mash of weather this morning with early drizzle followed by a mix of short periods of sun and very dark clouds on a moderate WSW>4-5 at 6 degrees.

     A fresh overnight fall of another wave of Wheatears was apparent with a minimum count of 14 just at the south end. Otherwise another morning of the same with Common Sandpipers, Redshanks, Oystercatchers etc with 4 Pied Wagtail and several Meadow Pipits in the compound along with a pair of Stonechat by the lagoon.

    Just 2 LBB and a single Herring gull on the water as well as Mallards, Greylags and Canada geese whilst 2 Kestrel were in the air as well as a distant Buzzard hovering in the wind before attempting to drop onto prey but ending up with nothing as it settled on a fence post.

     

Another session at Fly Flatts.

                                    At least 7 Wheatear
 

                                    2 Common Sandpiper

                                        6 Redshank

                                    1 pr Stonechat

                                    Oyk and Common Sandpiper

Once again I was favoured with the weather at Fly Flatts early morn with a light SSE>3 with full cloud  at a mild 10 degrees and short bursts of sunshine.

    Plenty to keep me and the camera occupied though much the same as yesterday with a good display of waders around the shore, again with Redshank, Common Sandpiper and Oystercatcher along with Snipe, Curlew and Lapwing.

    Just 7 Wheatear showing today, one of which looked good for a Greenland ( leucorhoa), whilst a pair of Stonechat were among the several Meadow Pipits. The water just held 3 LBB and a single Herring gull plus the usual Mallards and geese.

   A dry morning given for tomorrow with cloudy sunshine on a moderate SSE at 8 degrees.

BS

Fly Flatts

 

                                        Just the 2 Oystercatchers

                                        About a dozen Wheatear

                                     13 ducklings.

                                The peninsular showing well

                                    5 Redshank seen

                                A Fly Flatts rarity now, Golden Plover

A bright sunny start to the morning but clouded over by 0830 hrs to leave it full cloud on a light SE>3

at 5 degrees with full visibility.

   Still around a dozen Wheatear present but only the south end checked so probably more at the north end, plus Greenlands should be coming through shortly, being the last ones through.

   No new waders as yet with Redshanks, Common Sandpipers, Oystercatchers as well as 2 Snipe and the usual Curlews and Lapwings, with Dunlin due within the next couple of weeks.

    Nothing skyward this morning other than 3 Swallows >N and a single Buzzard up over the moor. Although Ring Ouzels seem to be all over the shop at the moment I'm still drawing a blank at Fly Flatts which has been the same for the last 3 years. A pair of Stonechat were by the lagoon.

   On the way home I spied a single Golden Plover in the Withins Head farm field, a rare bird now for my area whereas not so many years ago I was getting a count of over 300 on the Flat Moor as well as birds always present in the Nolstar fields. Nothing has changed with the habitat but the Plovers have gone.  

     A light southerly for morning increasing to moderate with a low chance of showers starting off at 10 degrees. Rain showers after midday.

BS