A 1600 hrs visit to the North end of Fly Flatts to check the ponds started off looking like a mistake when I was getting blasted with a hail and snow storm carried on a N>6 wind but things calmed down slightly and the sun appeared in amongst the showers.
The ponds are still pretty quiet as yet and no sign of the target bird, Dunlin but Im sure they,ll come when they,re ready. Waders were struggling for landing places with no exposed shoreline and several headed back towards the south end.
A pair of Tufted on the water was unusual whilst Wheatears were everywhere, even braving the hailstones. A surprise to find 7 on the lawn of the old Withins pub along with 4 in the Nolstar field alongside Lapwings but no Golden Plover.
2 Snipe
4 Common Sandpiper
3 Redshank
2 Oystercatchers
3 Curlew
Several Lapwing
1pr Tufted
Few Swallows >N
5 Wheatear down by water
3 Wheatear above top road on rocky hillside
4 Wheatear in fields below top road
2 Wheatear by Knoll farm
7 Wheatear on lawn by old Withens pub
1 Wheatear Withins Gap
4 Wheatear in Nolstar field
Total Wheatear..............26
+ usual sp.
BS