Fly Flatts. Thursday 7/5/26

 

                                    Stonechat busy feeding young

                                    Pink footed goose

                                    1 Oystercatcher

                            Waders way out on the peninsular obscured by heat shimmer

                                Redshank, Common Sandpiper, Ringed Plover

                                    Redshank, 2 Ringed Plover

An ideal morning, weather wise, with full light cloud and good visibility on a light SSE> at  4 degrees.

   Waders were buzzing this morning but very distant on the peninsular and badly obscured by heat shimmer. At least 4 Redshank, 2 Ringed Plover, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 6 Common Sandpiper and 2 Dunlin as well as the usual Curlew, Oystercatcher and Lapwing.

   A Pink Footed goose was in with the Greylags before heading off towards Cold Edge dams whilst small passerines were 2 Stonechat, 3 Reed Bunting 3 Wheatear, 4 Pied Wagtails and several Mipits. Plenty Swallows skimming low over the water but nothing moving skyward.

    A light SW for morning at 9 degrees with some thick cloud and 50% chance of rain throughout the day.

BS

Fly Flatts back on track

 

                                        Fewer Curlews breeding

                                        5 Wheatear present

                                    4 Common Sandpiper

                                2 Stonechat feeding young

                                        At least 6 Redshank

                                    Who said Redshank can't swim.

                                    1 of 4 distant Dunlin

                                    Several Reed Buntings

                                    Redshank

A cool ENE>4 this morning at Fly Flatts but clear with good visibility at 5 degrees. Around 30% cloud and sunshine starting to cloud over mid morning.

    After the respite at Fly Flatts yesterday things were back on track this morning with 4 Dunlin way out on the NE peninsular and in the heat shimmer. Redshanks and Common Sandpipers were very active whilst 5 Wheatear were at the south end around the lagoon area.

   A pair of Stonechat are now feeding young and a new arrival of Reed Buntings was apparent. The water is still slowly going down though slowed off slightly with the weekends rain.

  It was odd to see a Redshank swim well out on the water and back to where it set off. I've seen Oystercatchers do it but never Redshank.

   A cloudy morning tomorrow on a light southerly veering SW then SE at 8 degrees and rain by late morning.

BS

Fly Flatts

 

                                    Usual Redshanks

                                    and Common Sandpipers

                                    Curlews busy breeding

                                    Plenty Swallows through 

A cloudy but bright morning with good visibility on a cool NW>4 at 5 degrees.

    A much quieter morning with a clear out of several waders leaving me with just 2 Common Sandpipers and 4 Redshank and no sign of the Dunlins or Oystercatchers. Even small passerines were absent with no Stonechats or Reed Buntings though plenty Mipits and Pied Wagtails.

   A cross over of  Swallows heading >N on a low level and Swifts heading >SW on a high level with a good count of both species.

   Otherwise just the usual geese, Mallards etc so a bit of a damp squib this morning.

About the same forecast for tomorrow with a light NE at 5 degrees clouding in the afternoon.

BS

Harold Park/Park Dam.

 

                                    Very few Tufted

                                    3 Gt Crested Grebe

                                        11 Mute Swan

                                Why is our dad that funny colour.

                                    Buzzing with Swallows

                                    Several House Martins

                                    Lines full of Swallows

                                    Several Swifts high overhead

Dense fog as promised this morning so with Ogden out of bounds by car it was down to Harold Park and Park Dam which are winter venues but plenty this morning to keep the interest going.

     Great Crested Grebe at both sites as well as a very low count of Tufted plus the usual Mallard, Coot and Moorhen whilst 2 Mute Swan were at Harold Park and 11 at Park Dam. Park Dam held 3 LBB and 2 Herring gull.

   No doubt, the highlight of the morning was Hirundines and Swifts with several Swallows feeding over the water at Harold Park and an unbelievable number of Swallows at Park Dam, feeding over the water and fields as well as lined up on the telegraph wires.

   A good count of Sand Martin were also over the dam with a lower count of House Martin, whilst several Swifts were high up in the sky.

    A better morning for tomorrow with a light NW at 6 degrees and a mix of cloud and sunshine, clouding over after midday and a chance of showers.

BS