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Sunday, December 9, 2018

Fly Flatts p.m. Big gull moving day and an unusual visitor to the seed.

                                               Herring gulls piling over









                                               

                                          Great Black Backed

 Rare visitor to Fly Flatts, Robin
 Continental sp.very grey and pale breast.

A pleasing 2nd trip of the day to Fly Flatts with weather as this morning apart from a slight increase in wind NW>5 and some very large black clouds which quickly passed over.
                                                              The big gull move was still underway with Herring gulls piling over in a new direction heading in their usual direction of West. This move continued throughout the watch with a few Lesser Black Backed mixed in and at least 4 Great Blacked Backed ending up with a count of 230 gulls, 80% being Herring.
                                                               The gulls were mainly very high and distant moving on a broad front and whilst scanning a large flock to the north of the water a Short Eared Owl came into view being harassed by the gulls before it turned and headed off ,still very high, >N.
                                                              Walking back along the west bank at last light a small bird flew across the lower track from the seed by the feeding station landing on the wall by the valve tower. Immediately Snow Bunting flashed up in my head but a check with the bins found a Robin which at Fly Flatts is nearly as rare as a Snow Bunting.
                                                                   This bird had the look of a continental being very grey with a pale, orangy breast, also being very slim looking.
No sign of this mornings Reed Buntings which seemed to have moved on.
BS