3/5/2017 since last report from here. Two 1st year birds.
acidic or iron water.
leg ring. Thanks for text Dave.
Fly Flatts late afternoon. 21 deg with 90 % cloud cover on a very light SW>3.
Not as lively as yesterday with the rise in temperature but enough to keep me occupied throughout the watch. Black Headed gull numbers are increasing with a count of 32 today being attracted to the several islands now showing. This is the lowest I,ve ever see Fly Flatts which should remain through the crucial time of late July /August as it will take a lot of continuous heavy rain to cover the bankings now. Just 4 LBB gulls were among the Black Headeds.
Another sign of things starting to move was a very high Curlew calling and heading >NE, a second bird was heard but up in the clouds.
A scope scan of the east bank revealed the adult and 2 juv Common Sandpipers as well as the 2 Teal still present from yesterday tucked under the banking but no waders as yet.
Swifts were again moving >SW with several Swallows heading >NE but still not a Wheatear in sight.
Otherwise it was down to a distant Buzzard, 3 Kestrels over the west bank and 3 grouse coming to the waters edge to drink with the moors being dried out. There seems to be a very low count of Grouse this year so hopefully the number of shoots will be down,if any.
A loud bird call this afternoon in Halifax attracted my attention to find what looked to be a Cockatiel and a small Parakeet type up on the roof of Wilkinsons, possibly escaped from the pet shop nearby.
Other than the Mute Swan Ogden was poor with all the big gulls moved on to roost by the time I got there leaving around 40 BHGs and 4 Commons.
The Raggalds gull field held around 40 BHGs, 8 LBBs and 2 Herrings along with 16 Lapwing and 5 Pied Wagtails. This could be a good site for Yellow Wag.
BS