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Friday, September 14, 2018

Two Plover and a Greenland for Fly Flatts but no Pintail.

 A real butch, long legged male with bright orange/buff markings
 Stood out from the other Wheatears
 Very timid so quick hand held shots into the wind.

1430 hrs at Fly Flatts in a strong W>5 and light drizzle.
                                                                       The west coast was clear today with work stopped for the weekend so I could get back on to my watch point although the going was very muddy with work vehicles pounding up the track.
                                               A scan from part way on the west bank towards the east shoreline produced 2 Plovers scurrying about on the mud showing to be either Ringed or Little Ringed but too far away to tell. By the time I got on to the watch point and opposite the birds the drizzle got heavy piling across the moor followed by a large fog bank just giving me time for a quick scope before lights out but I was unable to re locate the birds.
                                                8 Teal were present but the Mallards had left the area down to Dean Head reservoir  with no signs of the Pintail which must have moved on unless it was hiding in one of the ponds.DJS reported it there this morning.
                                                  Walking back to the south bank the fog lifted and the sky brightened with the sun appearing by the time I,d got back to the car.
                                                    Down by the feeding station 4 Wheatear were very mobile with one standing out as a Greenland showing much larger in size with long legs, bright broad supercillium and deep orange/buff  breast and face markings. with the bird so mobile I could only get the distant ,hand held shots in the wind. The birds ended up on Robin rocks in the SW corner.