Back to Fly Flatts after the snow. p.m.

                                 1 of 2 Skylark on the Nyjer seed.

                                        Lapwings on the west bank facing the wind.

                                    4 flocks of Golden Plover over>NW

                                  Unfortunately all passed between the sun and me.

                                          Note bottom left bird

 Cropped. LH bird looked good for ad male Northern
 with black face and broad white band around black belly.

      Short Eared Owl below the Nab, around half a mile away.

With tongue in cheek I headed for Fly Flatts late afternoon half expecting not being able to gain access down the track due to snow but the Yorkshire Water 4x4 had been down earlier so the tyre tracks had thawed through to the gravel. Once down there much of the snow had melted so I was able to walk the west bank in bright but blustery and icy cold conditions but at least the wind was a westerly.
There was a deadly silence up there today with the snow evacuating the area of geese and Curlew and it seemed strange not hearing their calls but no doubt they,ll be back tomorrow.
                                                      Two groups of Lapwing were present with 16 on the west bank and 21 on the flat moor whilst Golden Plover were the bird of the day with 4 flocks over >NW, consisting of 3, 12, 8 and 33, the last group also being seen and reported by DJS from the Slade area.
                                                         A single Herring gull headed high and >NE whilst a Short Eared Owl was way over the north of the water below the Nab.
BS