are all growing well.
Unfortunately a step back in the weather to hot sunshine although there was 80 % cloud cover with a light SE>3 and when the sun comes out the nuggets are never far behind. Two families today with dogs in the water and kids paddling in the SW corner making the west bank off the menu. One character found it amusing to watch his dog chase Canadas and their chicks into the water.
With all that commotion going on I was restricted to the boat compound and east bank area which was productive with 4 Dunlin and 7 Common Sandpipers as well as Reed Buntings, Redshank, Curlew and Mipits.
Up above in the sky LBB gulls moved >SW along with a few Herrings whilst once again several Swallows and House Martins headed >N but again no Swifts.
I,ve done 30 sessions at Fly Flatts throughout May with some of the main highlights being :-
Greenland Wheatear
Whinchat
Cuckoo
Red Kite
Ringed Plover
Dunlin
Short Eared Owl
+ several other good birds.
With June, the worst birding month on the calendar ,facing us its a matter of stick at it and hope a rarity turns up while we get into July when the Wheatear will be coming back through and hopefully a good supply of waders if the water keeps down.
Thanks to all you watchers for sticking with me through spring and I,ll hopefully find something interesting for you to look at throughout June.
Apart from my own deep interest in birding, or obsession, its knowing the amazing number of people that take an interest in my blog that keeps it going.
Also yet another big thank you to Yorkshire Water and Halifax Sailing Club ,who, without their support these Fly Flatts reports would not have been possible.
Hopefully you,re not getting sick of Fly Flatts day after day but I find it by far the best recording area for me being only 15 minutes from home and producing the goods.
Several of my old haunts have gone downhill , especially over the spring/ summer months with Ogden catering for the public , Oats Royd taken over with the fishing club, Mixenden busy with the public and fishermen and Soil Hill well overgrown and all the breeding habitat being bulldozed away taking it off the birding map other than half a dozen species but remaining a good view point for pass overs. Even Leeshaw reservoir is suffering at the hands of camp sites with campers walking around the private reservoir grounds during the summer weekends and holidays.
Maybe some day all the original birding sites will be returned to nature but till then I,ll keep chipping away at Fly Flatts until the winter weather forces me back temporarily to a more civilized site .
BS