1500 hrs and a trip to Fly Flatts to check out the snow situation which was all clear until I got half way down the track and came face to face with a 4 ft snow drift. I could see that not even the YW vehicle had attempted it with tyre tracks up to the drift then footprints the rest of the way.
With the camera gear and dogs unloaded it was on foot the rest of the way which once past the 30 yds of drifts it was surprisingly snow free apart from along the banking and moor edge. A pleasant afternoon with broken cloud and a light NW>4.
The usual Canadas were on the water along with 2 Greylag which soon up and left towards Cold Edge along with some of the Canadas. Two Skylark flushed from the Nyjer seed dropping down into the nearby heather with 3 Meadow Pipits nearby.
Up to 5 Curlew were calling across the moor along with several Golden Plover. A large raptor showed very briefly over the moor before dropping over the ridge beyond Winnie Stone putting up Grouse , Goldies and Curlew as it went > SW.
After a long reverse back up the track and out of the top gate I stopped off at Nolstar to check the fields where 15 Goldies were present in a field well above the usual field which for some reason they seem to be avoiding this year and moving around the ones to the north and south of it.
At least I know Fly Flatts is accessible now so bring on the Ospreys and Wheatears . Three Ospreys have already been seen over Bradford so far.
BS