A lively migrant morn and another 1st for Fly Flatts.

 

                                Around 300 big gulls, mostly LBB, very few Herring.

                                        North shore

                                    2 of 5 Wheatear over on the Robin Rocks

                                    Wheatear

                                    Stonechat in moult

                                Yellow Wagtail still present

                                In with several juv Pied.

                                    Yellow and Pied

                                    Checking LH Wag for white.

                                A site first, Redstart

Another full sun morning at Fly Flatts at 19 degrees but a good W>4-5 making it cool and pleasant enough for walking. With the south shore quiet I walked the west bank with a view of scoping the NE corner and north shore. Around 300 gulls along the waters edge, mainly LBBs with just a low number of Herring and around 30 Black Headed, but not a wader of any description to be found anywhere around the shore. The family of  6 Kestrels were spread out along the length of the west bank.

     Walking back along the west bank there was a lot of migrant activity down below the banking and across on the bracken area, which is usually good for Whinchat at this time of year, but not this morning. Around 12 juv Pied Wagtail were working the fence line and whilst scanning through them I picked out a juv Yellow Wagtail, presumably yesterdays bird, which was busy feeding in with the Pied, dropping into the grass and back onto the fence.

    Further along the fence were 4 Stonechat and as I was watching these I got a flash of a red tail so immediately thought Black Redstart, which I get each year at or around this site. A dash back along the banking to get a bit closer I was surprised to pick up a Redstart, a first for me at this site. It flew further along the fence line towards the north end but not before I managed a couple of  distant record shots, a good finish to the morning.

    A better forecast for tomorrow with cloudy sunshine on a light NW starting at 12 degrees and peaking at 19 degrees.

BS

   

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