Poor for Waders, good for passerines. Fly Flatts.

 

                                A site first for me, Sedge Warbler.

                                    Stonechats and Sedge

                                Sedge Warbler

                                     1 of 6 Stonechat

                                    Single Wheatear

                          Looking across to the north shore from the peninsular.

                                    North shore Canadas

                                                Stonechat

A breezy morning at Fly Flatts with an E>3 at 16 degrees and hazy visibility in low cloud and some sunshine.

    After a walk the full length of the west bank yesterday and failing to find any waders, todays trek took me the length of the cobbled east bank to the peninsular, still failing to find any waders. Plenty LBB and Black Headed gulls were on the north shore whilst geese numbers are slowly going down with around 100 Canada and 30 Greylag with just a few Canadas yet to fledge. All yesterdays Tufted ducks have now flown, probably to Cold Edge Dams. Nothing in the air other than a single Swift>S and 4 Lapwing>N.

    Just as depression was setting in I got back into the compound to find several small passerines flitting around in the SE corner but all very mobile in and out of the single small tree and around the fence line.

   At least 6 Stonechat, 4 Reed Bunting, 3 Willow Warbler, a single Chiffchaff and Wheatear, whilst star prize went to a single Sedge Warbler, a site first for me here and saviour of the morning.

     Showing a foggy start to the morning with a light easterly slowly turning round to the south west with 80% chance of rain after midday. Starting temp 14 degrees and peaking at 22 degrees.

BS

     

Fly Flatts hits a lull.

 

                                    LBBs and Tufted, north shore

                                    As good as it got, 2 Common Sandpiper

Too sunny and too calm this morning at Fly Flatts with full sun in a cloudless sky on a very light NW>1 at 15 degrees. Clouding over by 0945 hrs.

    An extremely quiet morning with very little to report, the only waders were a quick sighting of 2 Common Sandpiper flying over the water, even though I walked the full length of the west bank and scoped all the north and east muddy shore. Several LBB and Black Headed gulls were on the north bank along with the family of 6 Tufted duck plus another 7 fledged Tufted duck which flew in from the direction of Cold Edge Dams.

    A couple of juv Stonechat were below the west bank but no sign of the Whinchat I had previously in the bracken area. The islands and SE corner just held around 10 juv Pied Wagtails whilst the sky remained empty with no Swallows or Swifts today.

    This time last year I had Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Sanderling, Dunlin and Ringed Plover !

A bright sunny day given for tomorrow with a very light easterly with a starting temp of 14 degrees peaking at 25 degrees with a good chance of early morning hill fog. Not the sort of forecast I want for Fly Flatts.

 BS

Nowt special, Ogden

 

                                    East Bank

                                Single female Tufted

                                    Several juv Swallows

                                Heron being harassed by LBB gulls

                                    West bank LBBs

                                    Not seen this here before

                                    5 Common gull present

                                    1 of 7 Herring gull

                                    2 CY LBB still retaining pink legs.

                                    Herrings on the water

A mainly cloudy morning with odd breaks of sunshine and occasional short rain showers on a light W>3 at 14 degrees.

    A very quiet morning with a poor gull count of 30 LBB, 7 Herring,5 Common and around 40 Black Headed gulls. A single female Tufted duck on the water as well as the usual Gt Crested Grebe and 10 Canada geese.

    Several juv Swallows over the water whilst the best of the bunch was a brief sighting of a male Blackcap in the car park.

  A dry morning tomorrow with a mix of cloud and sunshine starting at 11 degrees and peaking at21 degrees. The very light wind is all over the shop, starting off from the west then south west with a chance of swinging around to the east and south east.

BS

Wheatears start to return, Fly Flatts.

 

                                    Islands appearing off the south bank

                                        Gulls taking advantage

                                    Up to 5 returning Wheatear present

                                    Around 12 juv Pied Wagtails

A bright sunny morn at Fly Flatts with 40% cloud on a light SW>3 at 13 degrees. By 0915 hrs it changed to full dark cloud and damping in the wind.

    A much quieter morning with just the one short sighting of a Common Sandpiper wader wise and nothing on the water other than a dwindling number of Canada and Greylag geese with 90% of the goslings now fledged.

   A group of 34 LBB gulls were on the north bank along with 6 Black Headed. Once again Swifts filled the air, in what has been an excellent season for them at this site. Wheatears are now starting to return with 5 present, 3 of which were in full autumn plumage. Otherwise, just the usual Goldfinch, Linnet and Meadow Pipit plus 3 Kestrels.

     More cloudy sunshine tomorrow with a low chance of rain on a light westerly at 13 degrees  peaking at 17 degrees.

BS

Scoter morning, Fly Flatts

 

                                Star prize this morning, 8 drake Common Scoter.

                                  Keeping their distance as always.

                                    Gulls on the NE bank.

A pleasing morning, both weather wise and bird wise with full cloud cover and clear visibility on a brisk WNW>4 at 13 degrees.

  As I set off walking the south bank a scan over the water produced a tight flock of black ducks way across at the north end of the water. Thinking it was the family of 6 Tufted I continued scanning the water and came across another group of black ducks under the NW banking which were the Tufted family. It was obvious then that I had Common Scoter on the water so a sprint along the west bank to get into camera range. Near the north end was as near as I was to get to them with them being way out in the centre of the water but good enough for some record shots. I sat on the the west bank cobbles, below the skyline, with hopes of them drifting nearer to me but the Scoters stayed put and just moving north then south of their position.

    The muddy shore at the north end just held 48 LBB, 3 Herring and 12 Black Headed gulls with not a wader of any description to be found.

  Back at the south end several Swifts and Swallows were over the water whilst a single autumn plumaged Wheatear was very mobile. Otherwise, a high count of Linnet in the compound as well as Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails. Disappointedly, a wader-less morning.

   A cloudy sunshine morning tomorrow on a light SW with a risk of light showers clearing midday with a start temp of 11 degrees.

BS

Back to Fly Flatts.

                                Low tide, SE corner
 

                                    The old causeways starting to show

                                    South shore islands

                                Common Sandpiper using the new islands

                                Tufted family, 1 ad female, 5 young

                            Distant Wheatear on Robin Rocks

                               5 dispersing Willow Warblers in lagoon tree,

Good visibility this morning at Fly Flatts with full cloud, other than a few quick flashes of sunshine, on a SW>3 at 15 degrees.

    Just the one new arrival this morning with the first returning adult female Wheatear in autumn plumage, but keeping at distance across on the Robin Rocks. A surprise to find 5 Willow Warblers in the lagoon tree whilst 3 Stonechat were on the fence line below the west bank.

     Plenty Swallows and Swifts over the water but otherwise the sky was empty apart from 2 Kestrels and otherwise LBB and Black Headed gulls. A count of 43 LBB gulls were on the north shore.

    The 5 young Tufted ducks are growing well and were constantly diving alongside their mother. It won't be long now until they are fledging.

    Still poor wader wise but no excuses with the water level this year but still struggling with just Common Sandpiper even though I had my best spring ever at this site for Little Ringed Plover. Its just a matter of being patient and keep watching and waiting. Its getting difficult now with the water so low. The SE corner where I usually stand near the waters edge is a scoping job to check the shoreline, plus I've now 4 islands offshore to check as well as all the north shore mud.

    Cloudy sunshine given for tomorrow with a stronger W>4 at 14 degrees and peaking at 18 degrees.

BS.