1500 hrs and at last the track to Fly Flatts is passable again,just, with still plenty snow and ice up there. A bright afternoon but an icy gale force W>7 blowing making walking and watching difficult.
The main object of the exercise was to get some seed down which I havent been able to do over the last few days in the snowy weather so a good coating down may just pull something in. As expected in the conditions things were quiet with nothing in the sky other than 2 Carrion Crow and a single Kestrel. The water held 18 Mallard on the rough waves before they moved down to the shelter of Dean Head to roost.
Several Red Grouse were noisy on the moor and at least 5 Meadow Pipits were present along with around 6 Golden Plover and a Reed Bunting.
On the way back a check of the Dotterel field failed to produce Golden Plover but a single Oystercatcher over towards Cold Edge Dams was a nice surprise.
The Starling flock around the Cold Edge Fields is up to around 200.
BS