Another big move day with Woodpigeons away at first light urged on by the frosty low temperatures with hundreds piling over the garage all >S.By 0930 hrs the temperature rose and the move died down though stragglers were still coming over up to midday.
No winter thrushes over this morning but again several reports of Pink Footed Geese but unfortunately all skirting around the village, hence no sightings.
Terrible conditions at Fly Flatts late afternoon with wall to wall sunshine and cloudless blue skies on a very light E>2. The reservoir was sheltered from any wind ,this being blocked by the Nab and east ridge ,so the water was still, like mirror glass, reflecting the sun so it was hard to tell where the water ended and the shore started making scanning very difficult.
Even with the temperature down at 11 degrees there was heat shimmer over the water stopping any chance of distant photographs other than a few record shots.
Despite all this the water and shoreline was heaving with bird life but the sky remained empty. A record count of 78 Mallard was present scattered along the east bank along with 5 Canadas, 8 Black Headed gulls and 3 Lesser Black Backed. The Goldie flock was over in the NE corner along the mud banking but down to a count of 15.
Whilst scoping through the Mallards I picked up a small wader which threw me for a while, making it worse not to be able to get any clear shots, plus I could,nt get a bill size or shape with the black back ground but I eventually put it down to a Dunlin changing to winter plumage.
Walking back along the west bank a bright coloured duck was on its own right at the back of the east bank with its head tucked in refusing to move. A look through the scope found it to be a drake Pintail but out of range for photos in the conditions, the ones I took were unfit for human consumption , so a dash right around the reservoir to the east side to try get it at a better angle and less distant but as I was going through the boat compound the whole shebang of Mallards lifted up and landed on the water at the NW end due to an off the lead dog and its owner going down the northern path.
A scan on the banking found the Dunlin still present ,but further north, and the Pintail gone, either away, or on the water with the mass of Mallard which were impossible to scan with the sun throwing them all into silhouette . I,ll try again tomorrow and hopefully it will be cloudy although the forecast says not.
BS