A dry morning and showery afternoon on a light SW>3 with good visibility and some very black clouds.
If anyone understands what makes birds tick please put me a word to the wise because after 55 years birding I still don,t understand them. You just think you,ve got their movements sussed then the whole system changes.
After a day of rain, which livens the waders up into moving around and feeding continuously , the next morning is quiet making me think that after an active day they rest up on the moor the following morning before back to feed in the afternoon. This has happened on several occasions recently but today the area was dead wader wise, both morning and afternoon with 1 Dunlin this morning and none this afternoon despite a full walk of the reservoir and intense scoping.
Just 1 Ringed Plover, 4 Common Sandpipers and 5 Redshank present, so where are the Dunlins, possibly moved or but I will find out tomorrow.
1 Short Eared Owl, 1 Buzzard and a male Stonechat made brief appearances whilst the pair of Tufted were back on the water. Swifts were once again piling over >N, either movers or feeding parties keeping ahead of the showers.
When I had satisfied myself that there were no new waders I turned my attention to the massive flock of Herring and Lesser Black Backed gulls on the NE shore to check for Yellow Legged which peak in July but no results today but some interesting gulls in various stages of age and plumage.
A NE wind promised for tomorrow and a full day of rain so hopefully that will bring back my waders and some newcomers besides.
BS