If you can,t get out of the house early and at super quick speed with a text message of 42 Whoopers and 10 Bar Tailed Godwits 5 miles from home nothing will move you.
Thats what happened this morning with an 0630 text from early bird DJS from Fly Flatts so with an 0800hrs start at work I had to move quickly.
I arrived at Fly Flatts at 0700 hrs to the splendid sight of 42 Whoopers on the water and DJS scoped up on the roadside.
Dave had tried to get nearer down the north track but with the birds already noisy and looking ready for off retreated back to the road .
The 10 Barwits had continued on unable to find any shoreline but a great sighting and record for Dave.
After a cold 30 minutes in the snow and E>5 work time was approaching so I had to go knowing that the Swans were going to fly at any time and wanting a photo. As I got back to work at 1 minute to 8 Dave called to say they flew at 0750hrs, 10 minutes after I,d left.
A great sighting for the memory box, thanks Dave and well done for getting up there to check it out.
Just another display of DJSs dedication and enthusiasm to the group and local birding.
That was the up, now for the down.
With no time for reservoiring late afternoon it was plan B, Wheatear hunt.
Soil Hill was amazingly dead with 1 Kestrel throughout the visit, no Skylarks, Mipits or Snow Bunting, although the latter had been there in the morning CK. Even the skies were empty so it was on to Shelf Moor trailer park field to find exactly the same, not a bird of any shape or form.
What a good job I got up to Fly this morning. Funny old game, this birding lark.
Just received an e mail from IH, B.O.G. reporting 2 Wheatears at Leeshaw this morning.
BS