A late afternoon tour of the Wheatear hotspots starting at Shelf Moor then on to Oxenhope for a check over the moor past Paul Clough and up to Fly Flatts with plenty stops and scans but no Wheatear although the wind was near gale force 7 >W to gale force 8>W.
Cold Edge Dams was near unworkable with the strength of the wind and all the 79 Canadas and 2 Oystercatchers sheltered in the lower field. No Greylag or Pink Footed present and nothing but Mallards on the lower dam.
When I got to the NE corner 2 Ringed Plovers shot out from under the edge of the banking about a yard in front of me and off low over the water.
With the sun reflecting on the rough water and looking straight into the wind the birds were soon lost and despite a walk along the banking to the SW corner they were never re located.
BS