Man on a mission.... Fly Flatts 1445 hrs with the weather back to normal thankfully with 100 % dark cloud cover and near gale force W>6 - 7. Half way through the watch the clouds broke up leaving
50% cloud cover and some sunshine with the wind decreasing to W>5 which kept the temperature down.
After a text this a.m. from DJS saying he had spotted a Common Scoter on Fly Flatts that had to be the target bird although looking at the size and speed of the waves it was a needle in a haystack job.
Fortunately there were no Windsurfers present so that gave me a little more hope but several scans of the rough water came up with nothing.
Rather than jump in with both feet dashing along the banking I decided to stick to my usual routine firstly checking the SE corner which was alive with Dunlin and Common Sandpipers along with several other species. Next it was check the lagoon and the south shoreline again producing more Common Sands.
On then to the west bank checking the cobbles also bringing in the feeding station which today was void of birds. Regular scans of the water still failed to turn up the target bird until I was nearly at the NW corner when a black dot was seen bobbin about in the waves and frequently disappearing out of view way out in the centre as is usually the norm with Scoters.
Laying down just below the banking I was able to get out of the wind and get some shots just on the range limit but the well suited birder grin appeared with mission accomplished .
Well spotted to DJS for this mornings sighting, a species I,ve been expecting and scanning for daily. Hopefully more will follow.
The longest day is over now, 21st, so make the most of evening birding.
1f Common Scoter
9 Common Sandpiper + 1 juv + a 2nd thats still hiding from me
6 Dunlin
2 Oystercatcher
1 Redshank
4 Snipe
3 Curlew
2 Herring Gull
4m Reed Bunting
2 Barnacle geese + usual sp.
Tons of Swifts feeding over the water
BS