Dark, wet and windy, Fly Flatts.

 

                                        1 of 3 Wheatear

                                    SE corner

                                    Along the south shore

                                    The causeways

Poor conditions this morning, after an early bright start, with full dark clouds on a cold 11 degrees WNW>3 and light showers. Heavy rain by 0945 hrs.

    A struggling morning trying to turn something up with 4 Kestrels moving around the shorelines spooking the birds. Common Sandpipers were up to 4 now but very distant and mobile avoiding the Kestrels whilst 2 juv Wheatear were present as well as 1 adult in autumn plumage.

    A  juv Peregrine skimmed over the Flat Moor making a half  hearted attempt at a Mipit and a single Raven was over the quarry.

   The female Tufted is still on the water with the 3 young, which look ready for fledging anytime now, whilst 9 LBB and a Black Headed gull were on the north shore unphased by the Kestrels presence.

    Otherwise, just the usual small passerines along with a few Linnets around the compound area.

A brighter day tomorrow with cloudy sunshine on a moderate WNW  increasing by midday with a starting temp of 13 degrees. 

BS

    

Another day, another dabble at Fly Flatts.

 

                                2 LBBs stood in shallow water.

                                    Arrival of 3 Common Sandpiper

A very dark start to the morning with full dark cloud cover and everything in silhouette but brightened by 0845 hrs leaving cloudy sunshine on a light W>2 at 15 degrees.

     A poor start off with a very quiet walk to the end of the west bank with the only thing of note being a single Buzzard on a distant fence post, 2 Black Headed gulls and 2 LBB gulls, the latter being well out from the east bank but standing in shallow water, showing how low the water is now.

     A Dunlin flew across the NE corner  giving off its familiar buzzing call , whilst 2 Oystercatchers were on the far bank. Otherwise just the usual Kestrels and small passerines plus Swallows >S.

    The morning was like the womens football, boring with nothing happening until the last 10 minutes before it livened up. As I was ready for tackling up, 3 Common Sandpipers dropped in from the SE and landed on an island off the south shore. Shortly after, another 2 flew in but continued across the water to the north end.

    A cloudy morning tomorrow with chance of rain on a moderate WNW at 14 degrees.

BS

Patch perseverance pays off, Fly Flatts

                                    1 of 3 Wheatear
 

                                    Kestrel family outing

                                                Four

                                        Five

                                        Six

                                2 of 3 Greenshank, mega distant in heat shimmer

An ideal weather morning at Fly Flatts with early mist soon clearing to leave cloudy sunshine on a light W>2 at 14 degrees.

   One of those well awaited mornings today with firstly 3 Wheatear along the south bank along with 2 Oystercatchers but no sign of Dunlin. A walk half way along the west bank seemed quiet until a family of 6 Kestrel arrived, all interacting over the banking before drifting off over the moor to the north.

    A check around the compound produced just the usual Pied Wags, Goldfinch and Mipits so I headed along the east bank to check the peninsular area. Half way on I scoped across to the NW corner by the inlet and picked up 2 Greenshank so a dash on to the peninsular to try to get in range though they were still well out of camera range and in a ton of heat shimmer. 

     A few minutes after, the YW van drove on the west bank and as it got near the birds the two, plus a third Greenshank, flushed and lifted off high to the NW. Thinking that was it I hung on until YW had gone and amazingly one and then the other 2 returned to the same spot.

   A quick dash back to the car and drove up to the top road to get a phone signal to ring Lynda and request an extension, which was granted, so back down to the water and a walk on the west bank in hopes of  getting in range to age the birds and hopefully some photos.

    Half way on the banking depression set in when I saw a women dog walker had walked along the public right of way track with 6 off the lead dogs passing very near to where the birds were. I continued on to the last bend and checked through the scope, nothing. In a final hope I walked to the very end of the west bank in case they were in the overflow but nothing and no signs scoping the entire shore.

   A bit disappointing but still a good sighting to to have now had 4 Greenshank present on my patch this year so far.

    A case of possible sunshine and showers for the morning on a light westerly at 14 degrees.

BS

     

   

Back to Fly Flatts

 

A hazy start to the morning but soon lifted to leave 40% cloud with some blue sky and sunshine on a light NW>2 turning N>2 at 15 degrees. Full cloud cover by 1000 hrs.

     Another of those hard work mornings scouring the whole of the shore and islands as well as the water and sky. The problem now is, wader-wise, the water is so low, exposing so much shore and islands as well as causeways out into the water, there are so many hiding places among the trenches and stones, plus all the shorelines are now so far away making most of the birding a scoping job, not helped by the heat shimmer.

   Having said all that, I did manage to find 2 Dunlin briefly, 1 Oystercatcher and 3 Wheatear. The Wheatear being 2 juvs and an adult in full autumn plumage but again, very distant and flighty.

      Just 2 adult LBB gulls on the north shore, one of which had retained its bright pink legs.

Other than that the usual Goldfinch, Mipit, Pied Wag etc.

   Another morning of the same tomorrow with cloudy sunshine on a light Westerly at 15 degrees.

BS

     

     

A breezy Fly Flatts/ Ogden

 

FLY FLATTS            Speckled Greylag has 3 fledged all white.

                                    1 of 2 Oystercatcher

                                    Distant Buzzard

                                Flushed with YW van.

                                        Few LBB gulls >NW

                                    Pied Wag feeding a 3rd brood.

                                    Single Lapwing present.

OGDEN, p.m.            Several LBBs

                                Single Common with eye problem

                                    Mix of LBB, Herring and Black Headed.

                                    1 juv Heron.

A very windy Fly Flatts early morn with a moderate to strong NW>5-6 with full cloud at 14 degrees and hazy over the moor.

    Hard work this morning with the wind wafting the scope around and a job to hold the bins steady. Very little about with just 2 Oystercatchers and a Lapwing on the wader scene whilst a few LBB gulls and Swallows headed >NW into the wind and 2 Black Headed on the water.

    A Buzzard was on a distant post then a rock pile whilst a second bird was soaring high over the moor.

Otherwise, down to the usual Goldfinch, Mipits and Pied Wagtails etc.

     With a poor morning and Lynda not wanting to go out I did an extended dog walk to check the Ogden west bank gull situation which produced around 80 LBB, 15 Herring, c 50 Black Headed and a single Common gull. No sign of Yellow Legged which have been poor, in what is usually the peak month, with just single sightings at Ogden, NK,BS. and 2 sightings of probably the same bird at Fly Flatts, BS. A Med gull sighting is imminent with August being the peak month, occasionally turning up at Ogden but more often found by MP at Thornton.

     Otherwise at Ogden, 1 juv Heron, 1 Cormorant and 1 Oystercatcher plus the usual species and good to bump into NK doing the rounds.

 A similar forecast for tomorrow with cloudy sunshine but a lighter NNW wind at 15 degrees. A slight chance of some light showers.

BS

     

Fly Flatts in the drizzle.

 

                                    2 of 5 Oystercatchers

                                    East bank

                                    Plenty Goldfinch

Another pleasant weather morning at Fly Flatts with a moderate NW>4 at 14 degrees with full cloud and light drizzle throughout.

   Once again, the overnight fog on the tops had cleared by 0700 hrs leaving Fly Flatts hazy but pleasant enough, in what I call excellent reservoir conditions, though the drizzle failed to drop anything down.

     Only the one Common Sandpiper found this morning but 5 Oystercatchers were on the east bank, these being mainly juvs.

     No gull movement today with just a single LBB on the water whilst 2 SEO and 3 Kestrel were airborne. Nothing else of note other than the usual compound full of Goldfinch, Mipits, Pied Wagtails and a single Stonechat. At least 20 Pied Wagtail are present, mainly juvs, but only a single Grey and a White so far and no Yellow as yet, though Yellow are scarce at this site and only singles have been seen during Aug/Sept in previous years.

    Showing cloudy sunshine for morning on a light NW at 13 degrees followed by a cloudy afternoon.

BS