Early morn at Fly Flatts on a light W>3 with 90% cloud cover and already heat distortion beginning to show. A check along the south bank produced 9 Dunlin, 4 Redshank , 2 Oystercatchers and several Common Sandpipers whilst the southern end of the east bank was quiet for waders due to gull presence .
On then to the NW corner to find that all the action was in that area with a count of 15 Dunlin feeding on the waters edge along with more Redshanks and Common Sandpipers. Only 23 big gulls were present.
Scoping through the Dunlins one struck me as being very light backed but I shrugged it off to continue the count before going back to it. It was hard to get a size on it at the distance as it was not among the Dunlin but it was very pale in comparison and then it turned round to reveal a bright white belly. This had to be Sanderling in summer plumage or Little Stint which a few photos from Big Bertha zoomed in proved it to be my second Sanderling this year at this location.
A bit better vantage point but a fair distance away found a Ringed Plover nearby with both birds feeding in the soft mud by the waters edge and both frequently sinking down and having to flap their wings to get their legs free.
A late afternoon visit found both birds gone but still plenty Dunlin mainly at the south end with a massive flock of 245 big gulls on the NE shoreline, these being 75% LBBs , 25% Herring and just a single Black Headed.
So another cracker for Fly Flatts although I had hoped it to be Little Stint or even Temmincks Stint but thats getting a bit over ambitious. Whats happened to Little Stint ? we used to get them annually but now seem to have disappeared off the face of the earth.
BS