Fly Flatts at 1430 hrs was very drizzly and very windy with a W>5 at 24.4 mph and very little to see. Fortunately the weather brightened mid way through the watch.
No waders showing after a good scoping of all the bankings with just 3 Wheatear on the south shore as well as the usual Teal and Mallards. Some of the Teal were part out of view in a back pond where yesterdays Ringed Plovers were.
When I was ready for going a call from DJS that and odd ball duck had flown out of the Teal pond and headed my way, possible Pintail was Daves thoughts.
It was hard to hear on the phone with the wind blasting and I just heard Dave say near the gantry so off I shot through the boatyard to the steel jetty when Dave rang again saying , no not that gantry, the west bank gantry. Great ! back through the boatyard and along the south shore where I managed some distant record shots but into the sun. Next move was back along the west bank to get the sun behind me but only just in time to see it fly back to the centre of the water then back onto the east bank peninsular.
I told Dave female Pintail but on the photos the barring on the flanks puts it to a male in eclipse.
Well spotted to Hawkeye DJS for being quick enough to pick it out from the top road and into the sun. Fly Flatts strikes again.
BS