A flying visit to Fly Flatts late p.m. whilst waiting for Ollie to have his make over. A mixture of weather with some heavy drizzle showers coming across the moor carried on a W>4 - 5 along with bright sunshine. Once again confined to the east shore due to work ongoing along the west bank but with the low bright sun in my face and on the water plus all bird activity occurring in the NW corner it really put the mockers on the job. With some of the machinery removed from the west bank I,ll see if I can get on there tomorrow.
A very quiet start to the watch with the usual 4 Mallard on the water , 6 Kestrels in the air and several blogging Mipits and a scope of the shoreline producing nothing other than 2 juv Pied Wagtails.
During one of the squally showers 3 waders came in low from the west dropping into the NW corner among the 7 Canada geese and a scope found them to be 2 Dunlin and a single Plover, Little or Ringed , but as far away from me as possible . Some very iffy photos later proved it to be a Ringed which soon moved , with the Dunlins, into the inlet channel and out of sight.
Shortly after the next burst of drizzle I was scanning the west bank through bins when a wader type bird came into view for a matter of seconds as it came from the west low over the banking dropping down as if to fly low over the water but I immediately lost it with the bright sun reflecting on the water.
The bird was in silhouette so all I got on it was size around Green Sandpiper but less than Redshank with a longish bill, also Sandpiper size, with sharpish wings and an unusual very fast short wing beat ziz zagging all the time similar to a small Tern.
A thorough scan of all the shore lines, as best I could from my position, found nothing so it either landed out of sight or flew low over the water and away. The 3rd option being it landed on the water which I never checked with high waves and sun reflection, this thought being put into my head by JB saying the flight pattern fits Phalarope. I ll be scanning the area tomorrow but I have the feeling this one will have to go down as a : cud av bin :
BS
WEST YORKSHIRE BIRDING. BRIAN SUMNER. I am based at Queensbury and bird a patch within a 10 mile range of home incorporating 16 stretches of water, several plantations, a belt of woodland, stretches of river and canal and good areas of moorland. I specialize in upland birds, reservoir and sky watching. My local patch is Fly Flatts reservoir. Any reports can be sent by text or call to 07771 705024 or see profile for e mail address. All images on this blog are copyright.(2024).