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Thursday, July 6, 2017

Tropical Fly Flatts

         Juv Wheatear wondering where all its mates are.



                                    1 of 12 Common Sandpipers



                       Juv Grey Wagtail bred near the feeding station.
 This juv Common Sandpiper can actually fly now
                      Closely watched by Mum.

1515 hrs on a far too hot afternoon though luckily there was a W > 4 coming across the moor cooling things down slightly. Horizontal vision was down to about 10 miles due to heat haze and very little cloud cover.
                   Black Headed gulls were piling over >SW down the Calder Valley but ridiculously high and barely visible to the naked eye whilst a few LBB gulls came over >N on a lower plane, some skimming the water to drink.
                                               Nothing untoward on the water other than the usual Canadas and the 2 Barnacles whilst wader wise a scope from the west bank produced a minimum of 12 adult Common Sandpipers and 3 juvs along with 4 Dunlin and 2 Oystercatchers. The Curlews have now gone as far as I can tell whilst Lapwings are beginning to group.
                                              The lonely juv Wheatear is still present but should be joined by others shortly, HC clocked one at Leeshaw the other day. Meadow Pipits are still busy feeding young and will be for a while yet but sadly not a single Skylark in this area this season. Looks like Soil Hill and Old Guy Rd are the only strongholds left in the area  for this species.
BS