crop factor = 1920mm.
A real blast off of vis mig today with Meadow Pipits piling over from first light all >W and >SW
plus the first of the Pink Footed geese coming through. See Calderbirds for DJSs goose report.
A check on Pit Lane football pitch produced 38 Common Gulls,
12 Black Headed and 5 Lesser Black Backed along with the first stages of the winter Lapwing flock with 23 present. On then to Old Guy Rd after yet another Whinchat report as well as Wheatears from a very wet Denise Shields who braved this mornings drizzle to check out the area.
At least 5 Wheatear were present but again I dipped on the Whinchat and her unidentified Chat type.
A late start at Fly Flatts at 1600 hrs with very dark clouds and yet another strong W>5 with a forecast of near gale SW and rain in the morning.
Scanning the area from the west bank watch point was hard work in the poor light and wind but a check through the returned Mallards found the Pintail in among them but half hidden with the banking. 28 Mallard were present along with 11 Teal and 1f Tufted whilst a steady flow of Swallows went overhead all>S.
A scan along the south shore was even worse with all the mud wet and shining and the water is so low now that the muddy shore is such a vast area and the waters edge is a great distance away.
Suddenly a movement from one of the pools and 2 juv Ringed Plovers were picked out right by the waters edge. Bertha got a few record shots but I had to put on a 2x converter and go on to manual focus to pull it in.
Hopefully in the morning the fog will be kept at bay with the strong winds and I,ll be looking out for skeins of Pinkies on the move.
BS