Snow Buntings in the snow at to stop
the camera blinkies.
Fast shutter speed 1/1250. F7.1 ISO 1000 at 600mm
resident at Fly Flatts.
1515 hrs Fly Flatts. Dark rolling clouds, 100% cloud cover on a strong >W>6 decreasing W>4.
Ideal conditions once the wind had decreased slightly but once again the light was changing by the minute with black clouds rolling over from the west.
The water was very rough and the SE shoreline just hanging on but much more heavy rain and it will be gone.
One of the best years for a while for Common Sandpiper with at least 8 counted just from the SE corner to part way on the west bank. Just the one brief sighting of Dunlin with a fly over dropping down on the moor. Other waders were 5 Oystercatchers, 2 Redshank and 4 Curlew, whilst a male Reed Bunting was briefly on the nyjer seed with 2 Grey Wagtails nearby.
Two of the 3 Cold Edge Dams Barnacle geese seem to have set up residence permanently above the boathouse now, the third bird not being reported for a while. Other than that 7 sub adult Herring gulls were on and around the water with all the usual species present. One heart stopping moment when all the Curlews and Lapwings went up together but I never found what spooked them, another Osprey was flashing through my mind but not to be.
Unbelievable that once again, in perfect conditions, not a single Tern of any description through with so many Black Terns within 30 minutes flying time away.
A customer today told me his 12 year old son had become keen on nature and birding so he was starting to take him round some local areas to see if he gets the bug. I told him thats good news as local birders are rapidly in danger of becoming extinct with a fall over the last 20 years from around 100 active birders in Bradford/ Calderdale to around 10 on the top side now.
On the up side, K.M. had another 2 Yellow Legged Herring gulls at Redcar Tarn yesterday and 2 LBBs with leg rings.
BS