A watch free morning today with childminding duties although I was watching the sky whilst in the swing park. Back to Fly Flatts at 1445 hrs on a cracking afternoon with a SW>3 along with blue skies and sunshine.
A single Skylark was back at one of my feeding stations making me believe that this is the same bird as last year using the same feeding area and acting just the same when flushed by dropping into the nearby heather. Last years bird, the one and only Skylark for Fly Flatts, stayed until early April before moving on. Over the last 5 years my first Skylarks have arrived within a few days of the same date each year at Fly Flatts, Ringby , Back Lane and Old Guy Rd cricket field Queensbury , not counting Soil Hill as this species over-winters there.
Lapwings kept the ball rolling again with several flocks of birds dispersing to their various breeding areas, some very high and direct whilst others dropped onto the east bank briefly before moving off again. The largest flock being 72 with a total count of 232 all heading west and north west.
Two Kestrels were up over the boat yard area and 21 Canadas were on the NE banking.
Another hugging of Nyger down today, this is getting an expensive job, but hopefully it will be worth it , 2019 could be the year of the Twite return.
Other news today was :- now retired, fireman Craig who lives by Mixenden Reservoir and walks his dog there most days text me to report a record count of 11 Cormorants stood wing drying on the east bank whilst Danny Hyland rang this morning reporting a skein of c 150 Pinkies heading towards Halifax. Thanks to Craig and Danny for the reports.
BS