Here come the waders, Fly Flatts

 

                                Best I could get on a Little Ringed Plover

                                Distant Dunlin with Redshank

                                    North end peninsular

                                    6 Oystercatchers

                                    Only 6 Wheatear today

                                    1 of 4 Common Sandpiper

                                1 of 2 Dunlin, west bank.  1st back.

                                    2 pair Reed Bunting

                                    4 breeding Pied Wagtails

Only complaints about the weather this morning is that it was too warm at 8 degrees with full clear sky on a light WNW turning W>2. Good visibility other that slight milky haze over the moor.

    A good wader morning with the first 2 Dunlin arrived along with a Ringed and Little Ringed Plover and 6 Oystercatchers along with the 2 breeding pair of Oystercatchers, 4 Common Sandpiper and 5 Redshank.

   Just 6 Wheatear this morning along with Reed Buntings, Stonechats and Mipits but nothing in the air other than a few Swallows >NW.  Swallows are now back at their annual nesting site on Balkham Edge.

   A cloudy start to the morning tomorrow then cloudy sunshine by midday with the wind back to a light SE starting off at 6 degrees.

BS

    

Up above the clouds. Fly Flatts.

 

                                    A cloudy Calderdale from Perseverance Road.

                                From Fly Flatts

                                    6 Common Sandpiper present.

                                    8 Redshank

                                    2 pair of breeding Pied Wagtails

                                    Single Oystercatcher

                                    Low count of Mipits this year

                                    2 Pair Reed Bunting

                                    14 Wheatear

Luckily for me, the overnight fog dropped into the valleys by 0500 hrs blanking out the Aire valley to the east and Calderdale to the west. Thick fog as I drove through Mixenden but Fly Flatts had full clear blue skies and sunshine on a very light SE>2 at 3 degrees.

     A few more arrivals of Common Sandpiper with at least 6 present along with 8 Redshank and just a single Oystercatcher with Dunlin imminent in the next few days.

   Still plenty Wheatear with at least 14 around the southern end of the water whilst 2 pair of Reed Bunting were around the lagoon area. The only sky movement this morning was several Swallows >NE.

  At last, in the morning the wind is very light and from the west with a bright sunny day with some milky skies making it slightly hazy at a start temp of 8 degrees. Bad news is, the light wind is back from the east on Sunday.

BS

   

A wader lull at Fly Flatts

 

                                    Still plenty Wheatear present

                                    Greylag numbers are rising here

                                        1 of 3 Stonechat

                                    More NHS cut backs !

A misty start at Fly Flatts with a low cloud base below the tops of the turbines but clearing by 0830 hrs to leave partial cloud and some sunshine on an icy E>2 at 3 degrees.

     Waders are at a standstill at the moment at this site with just 1 Snipe and 7 Redshank plus the usual Curlews and Lapwings with no sign of the Common Sandpipers, even scoping the far north shore and peninsular.

    Still a good count of  Wheatear with at least 11 at the south end and 6 in the Withens Top farm field.

A group of 14 LBB gulls headed high and >SW whilst several Swallows were skimming over the water before eventually heading off >N. A pair of Reed Buntings were by the lagoon as well as 2 male and 1 female Stonechat.

   Several Swallows over Foxhill Park this p.m. as the temperature soared up to 13 degrees.

With Ogden Lane closed for a month from the 27th April they have decided to rub salt into the wounds by closing Cold Edge Road, Wainstall to Oxenhope, cutting off Fly Flatts, from the 27th April for 1 week plus long delays with road works around Oxenhope making Leeshaw difficult so thats my 3 main birding venues gone down the plug hole. Hopefully there will be access to the sailing club ???

A very light SE for morning with cloudy sunshine starting off  with a low of 2 degrees and another threat of early morning fog.

BS

Another near miss with the fog. Fly Flatts

 

                                6 Common Sandpiper

                                    2 Red Legged Partridge

Once again the overnight fog lifted just before kick off leaving Fly Flatts slightly misty with a low cloud base but soon clearing to leave broken cloud and sunshine on an icy cold E>5-6 easing slightly as the morning went on with a temp of 3 degrees.

    Common Sandpipers were the bird of the morning with 6 showing but all very mobile around the shoreline. Otherwise waders were still in a lull with the usual Redshanks etc and still no sign of Dunlin.

     Wheatear numbers were down to 7 with 4 Reed Bunting and the usual Mipits whilst in the air, 2 Raven, 1 LBB gull, 2 Buzzard and several Swallows >N.

    On the way up there a Short Eared Owl was seen at distance and on the way back 2 Red Legged Partridge were showing well.

   Another day of the same tomorrow with a light easterly at 3 degrees, starting off cloudy then a bright day and another threat of  early morning fog.

BS