Another clear morning. Fly Flatts.

                                    1 of 4 Common Sandpiper

                                    Laid down on the banking to get these shots

                                   with 2 dogs stood on my back.

                                    All Canon 300mm  f4 L  IS.

                                    Plenty Meadow Pipits

A good run of weather at Fly Flatts with another dry, clear morning on a cold NNE>2 at 2 degrees. Around 80% cloud with short spells of sunshine.

    Just the usual waders to keep me company this morning but all mostly distant at the northern end of the east bank so a morning of scope work. Only 3 Ringed Plover found this morning plus 4 Common Sandpiper and 2 Redshank along with Oystercatchers, Curlew and Lapwing.

    Nothing moving skyward with just a single Herring gull and LBB gull >NE plus a few low and fast Swallows >N. The annual breeding Swallows are now back in situ at their Balkram Edge site.

     On the plus side, the water is receding nicely with the valve open and already showing small areas of muddy shore. If any long and heavy periods of rain stay away over the next week things should be starting to look good.

    Another dry morning tomorrow on a cold 1 degree >NE with hopefully good visibility.

BS

     
 

Fly Flatts

 

                                    6 Ringed Plover present

                                    Greylag family, 7 gosling

                                Distant Buzzard

                                    Mobbed by Curlew

Another icy cold morning at 2 degrees on a W>3 turning NW>2 with full cloud and a few light snow showers.

          Everything is against the spring movement at Fly Flatts this year so far with a high water level and icy cold winds keeping birds down at a lower level. Luckily waders are keeping the wheels turning despite the lack of shore with now 6 Ringed Plover and 5 Common Sandpiper as well as Oystercatchers and Redshank.

   A single Raven was over 'Tatty Pie Hill' whilst a distant Buzzard over 'Fill Belly Flat' was mobbed and moved on by Lapwings and Curlew.

  A group of 9 Herring and 2 LBB were over in the NW corner where several geese and Lapwings are sitting eggs.

  According to MC at Oxford, Bar-tailed Godwits are on the move, though they seldom visit Fly Flatts with my last sighting here being 2011, whereas I usually get a Black-tailed Godwit annually but its still to happen this year as yet.

     Mornings looking dry, back down to 1 degree on a light, fog threatening, N turning NE so its wait and see.

BS

Back to winter, Fly Flatts.

                                    A good count of Mipits

                                    Single Wheatear

                                    2 of 4 Common Sandpipers

                                    2 of 6 Ringed Plover

 A bright start to the morning but clouding over by 0830 hrs with a light snow then rain shower on a moderate N>4 at 1 degree. Good visibility throughout.

     Similar sort of morning with the usual waders, Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, Redshank, Oystercatchers plus Curlew and Lapwing. A short billed Curlew type flew over >SE into the sun which I thought possible Whimbrel as too early for a young Curlew and it was flying fast and direct, but with only a quick sighting and no call I had to let that one slip the net.

      A single Wheatear was in the compound along with 2 Reed Bunting whilst 8 Herring gull and 2 LBB were on the north bank and a Buzzard high over Nab Water Lane. Swallows were piling over >N.

   The weathermen have back-peddled on tomorrows dry day, now forecasting a chance of rain on a moderate NW turning N but slightly milder.

BS

Wader day, Fly Flatts

 

                                    1 of 4 Common Sandpiper

                                    2 of 6 Ringed Plover

                                    Herring gull on watch

                                And this is what it was watching. Greylag goslings

                                1st 7 gosling, 3 days earlier than last year.

                                    Oystercatchers displaying.

A wet start to the morning but dry by 0815 hrs with a bitter cold N>4 at 2 degrees and full cloud but good visibility.

     A very lively wader morning with 4 Common Sandpiper, 6 Ringed Plover, 8 Oystercatchers and a single Redshank plus the usual Lapwings and Curlews. The first batch of 7 Greylag goslings were on the water whilst a Herring gull stood watching on the east back but no match for the adult geese. This first batch is just 3 days earlier than last year and there are another 4 pairs of Greylags present as well as around 250 Canadas and 8 pair of Mallard.

      Very quiet in the sky with just a single LBB gull >NE plus 2 Raven over the moor. A single Wheatear kept its distance whilst the annual pair of Pied Wagtails are looking to breed again this year.

   Next target waders now are Dunlin, imminent over the next few days, Little Ringed Plover, very iffy to give an appearance, Sanderling and Turnstone, early May but very hit and miss, then Greenshank, Bar-tailed Godwit and Whimbrel early May but about the same odds for these 3 as winning the lottery.

        A couple of dry but very cold days promised now with a light north and north west wind.

BS

Dodge the Fog. Leeshaw.

 

                                    Single Pink Footed Goose.

                                    1 of 2 Cormorant

                                Showing white courtship patch.

                                Several Swallows through >NW

                                Very few Black Headed gulls in the area.

                                        Lapwing displaying

                                    Herring gull

As promised this morning, dense fog on the tops and hanging around until mid afternoon.

    Leeshaw was clear with good visibility on a light W>2 at 5 degrees with constant rain throughout.

      Nothing out of the ordinary but enough to keep the interest going throughout the watch with a good variety of species. Swallows were bombing through, low over the water and >W along with a low count of Herring and LBB gulls and a surprise to get 4 Black Headed gull over, which are very scarce at the moment.

     A single Pink Footed goose was in with the Canada and Greylag looking like it will probable over-summer here. Waders comprised of  Common Sandpiper, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Curlew and Lapwing whilst 2 Heron and Cormorant were on the banking.

   Grey and Pied Wagtail were present along with a few Goldfinch and a Kestrel.

Looking dry tomorrow with a cool N>3 with the morning visibility given as medium to good, though Fly Flatts has its own weather system up there.

BS