A last minute change of plan and glad of it. Fly Flatts.

 

                                    Single Golden Plover, juv.

                                    Distant Wheatear

                                    2 Raven over the moor

                                    Water very shallow now

                                    Over 400 mixed gulls present

                                    Common Sandpiper.

                                Star prize, juv Yellow Wagtail. 'flavissima'

                                Photos in 23 degree heat shimmer.

Way too hot at Fly Flatts at 23 degrees on a very light SW>2 with near full sun other than a few small clouds.

    I was wondering where to go in the heat when a call from the sailing club Commodore said a gas tanker was on its way to Fly Flatts early doors and could I open the gates for them. Problem solved, so off to Fly Flatts. I arrived just before the tanker so once he had unloaded I got parked on the south bank under the shade of the lagoon tree where it was quite pleasant with a nice cool SW>2 blowing.  A dog walk in the shade then got them settled in a nice cool spot and out with the scope.

   An amazing gull count with over 400 mixed gulls over at the north end, both on the water and banking with 80% being LBB along with Herring and Black Headed. A Heron was on the north bank which was unusual out of frogging season whilst 2 Raven flew over the Flat Moor.

    A single juvenile Golden Plover was in the SE corner as well as a Wheatear and single Common Sandpiper.  The water is now down to a low count of Canada geese and no Greylags whilst a single female Tufted duck flew in.

     Packing up time so one last scope of the south shore and islands just to find several juv Pied Wagtails until a flash of yellow disappearing behind a distant stone out on an island. Up with the bins to relocate it  and then back to the scope to confirm a juvenile Yellow Wagtail, my first in 6 years up there.

   A dash on the south bank to get the best photos I could, at the distance with a ton of heat shimmer, but managed some record shots.

    So thanks to William, the Commodore and his gas tanker, plus my decision to have a final scan, I got a more than welcome bird.

    Slightly cooler tomorrow starting off at 18 degrees and peaking at 24 degrees on a light to moderate westerly with broken cloud and sunshine.

BS

     

     

Too hot on the tops, into the shade of Ogden,

 

                                    11 Common gulls present

                            Looking across to the west bank

                                    Silhouetted Heron  1 of 3.

                                    West bank

                                        8 Herring gulls present

                                    Unusual to have Lapwings on the shore here. x 6

                                    Herring

                                    LBB and Herring.

With the temperature already up to 18 degrees at 0745 hrs and no breeze it was too hot for the dogs, not to mention me, so down to Ogden and into the shade of the trees.

    A good all round count of gulls with around 100 LBB, 11 Common and 8 Herring along with several Black Headed, all carefully sieved through for Meds and Yellow Legged though not to be today.

   A group of 6 Lapwing were a surprise to find on the west bank along with a single Cormorant whilst the Common Sandpiper was briefly spotted flying across the water from west to east.

   A pair of Tufted duck were on the water as well as 4 Canada geese ,whilst 3 Heron were on the shoreline.

   Plenty moorland smoke coming from somewhere over beyond Saddleworth this morning. Hopefully the August 12th shooters will have had the sense not to be shooting on the moors for now.

  Its said that all the birds go quiet whilst tonights eclipse is on. No change there then, they've been quiet all year !

    Another bad one tomorrow with a starting temp of 20 degrees peaking at 32 mid afternoon on a very light SW with full sun throughout.

BS

    

More gulls I'm afraid, Ogden Reservoir.

                                    Common gulls now up to 7
 

                                100+ LBB,  9 Herring.

                                Herring gull

                                    Waiting for the legs to show, pink, argenteus.

                                Common Sandpiper still present.

A full sun morning on a light SE>2 at 14 degrees and soon warming up but cool in the shelter of the trees.

   Apart from the gulls it was a steady morning doing a lap of the water with very little to show. The Canada geese had moved on and no sign of the long staying Gt Crested Grebe, though the Common Sandpiper was still present but kept being moved along the shore by Black Headed gulls.

     All the Black Headed and Common gulls were sticking to the east bank whilst the LBBs and Herrings were on the west bank but keeping moving to the water and back. No sign of Yellow Legged Herring today although I did spend some time watching a bulky headed Herring preening on the water waiting for it to show its legs and when it eventually did it was just an argenteus, so still awaiting another, or the same Yellow Legged, and of course a Med gull.

     Nothing else apart from the usual and nothing moving skyward.

 Full sun tomorrow on a very light SE with a starting temp of  14 degrees peaking at 30 degrees late afternoon, wonderful, not !!!!!!!!!!

BS

Ogden Reservoir, Gulling.

 

                                     Common gulls slow returning

                                    Around 200 LBB gulls

                                Looking across at the west bank from the east.

                                    Common Sandpiper still present

                                    Part silhouetted taken against sun angle.

                                Long staying Gt Crested Grebe.

                           Not a YL Herring but bright sun lightening a LBBs mantle.

                                    West bank

                                    Deceiving LBB in the bright sun.

                                    1 Cormorant over >SW

A bright sunny morning at Ogden with full sun on a light NW>3 at 12 degrees.

   A good count of around 200 LBB gulls which were a nightmare to search through with a full low sun lighting up the birds mantles. Several looked to have the mantle of  a Herring gull until they turned away from the sun showing it dark in the shade. Very few Herring gulls present. Unfortunately, Carrion Crows were among the gulls on the west bank which kept spooking them and sending them out onto the water.

   A search through the 50 plus Black Headed gulls failed to find a Med whilst Common gulls still had a count of 5.

   The Common Sandpiper was still present after a lot of searching but in a bad position to photograph against sun angle with the sun behind it. The long staying Gt Crested Grebe was still present moving around the water and doing well at catching fish whilst 4 Canadas were on the east bank.

    A single Cormorant flew over >SW whilst a fall of Willow Warblers was apparent with several together in a waterside tree.

    Not a brilliant forecast for tomorrow with full sun through out the day on a very light SE kicking off at 12 degrees and peaking at, a too hot, 26 degrees and showing over 30 degrees Wed/Thurs.

BS