as used by the Red Arrows. Correct me if I,m wrong Gary.
Fly Flatts 1435 hrs. 50% cloud cover, some sunshine, moderate SW>5-6 bringing out the wind surfers.
How predictable the migration of birds can be. The Common Sandpiper migrates in the autumn to south of the Sahara and around the Mediterranean basin, although small numbers over winter in the British Isles, and after flying all this distance they return to the same site on near enough the same day as the previous spring.
Over the weekend I,ve been predicting the return of Common Sandpiper to Fly Flatts any day now and today 2 had arrived just one day earlier than the first returning bird to this site last April.
Most of my time today was spent tracking down these 2 birds as with all new arrivals they are very excitable and mobile until they settle in. As soon as I arrived I heard their familiar call and kept getting odd flashes of them over the water , also being spooked by wind surfers, but when I finally pinned them down one was back on the south banking and the other was on the lagoon. Numbers should increase now over the coming days although Wheatears seem to have come to a standstill with just one female again today, last year I had 18 here on the 23rd and 24 on the 30th so theres still time yet for a big push.
Otherwise it was just the usual species although with walking about with my head down checking the banking I could have missed 10 Osprey overhead.
Raggalds Flood held 2 Redshank.
BS