A good finish to whats proved to be a quiet month when it should have been the busiest of the year.
With 33 visits to Fly Flatts during October a good variety of species were found making satisfactory birding other than a few quiet days although nothing mind boggling was found, unlike last October.
Todays weather was good with cloudy sunshine on a light S>4 but the best of the light had faded by 1615 hrs.
It started as I was in the garden at 1445 hrs harnessing up the dogs ready for Fly Flatts when a text from PT reporting Pink Footed Geese heading my way from east of the area. After 10 minutes in the garden, camera at the ready, it was obvious they had missed me so a dash towards Fly Flatts knowing that I had a chance of seeing them once I could get a good view to the west.
Once up on Cold Edge road I scanned over the moor and sure enough there they were, providing that it was the same skein, way over the western ridge heading directly into Lancashire. From where the geese were they would probably be able to see the west coast and their destination.
Fly Flatts was quiet with a walk along the west bank to the NW corner only producing 9 Golden Plover on the east bank along with a single Black Headed gull, the only gull seen tonight.
Back at the south end another 4 Golden Plover and a Lapwing had appeared on the south shore and it was as I was positioning the tripod to get some shots that I heard that magical sound, music to my ears, GEESE. With camera back off the tripod ready for some sky blasting I could hear Pinkie calls getting louder but no geese until suddenly they appeared over the east ridge quarry to come >NW over the water, an amazing sight at close quarters.
With the geese gone and a camera full of pictures it was time to head back to base as the light quickly faded and wait to see what November produces.
BS