Dense fog this morning so just a dog walk from Ogden up the track to the Withins and back in fog all the way.
Mid afternoon and shopping done the fog was still thick on the tops but suddenly, like magic, it cleared leaving clear skies so off to Fly Flatts. On arrival visibility was good but very warm,21 deg
with no breeze what so ever. By the time I,d geared up, the mist started rolling back in from the SE so a quick dash through the boat yard with just time to scope the east bank and water before it was gone from sight.
Luckily I hung onto enough visibility to see the south shore and SE corner ponds throughout the watch which, once again, was where everything was happening.
The long staying Ringed Plover was very alarmed and flying round noisily , the reason being a 2nd Ringed Plover came in and landed on the south shore only to be moved off as it did with the last new arrival. This second bird was also a male in breeding plumage but I failed to re locate it again so I don,t know if it left or moved across to the east bank.
Lapwings are building up slowly with 34 along the shoreline before moving off >SW whilst 3 Dunlin were in the pools. A pair of Tufted were by the ponds with the male going into eclipse and swifts were piling through below the mist over the water.
The highlight today was a juvenile Wheatear which confirmed my suspicions of a pair breeding at Fly Flatts. I,ve been watching a pair since April which stayed behind when others had moved on. I caught the female checking a hole under the banking several times but nothing became of that but then found her checking another hole in a pile of stone some distance from the water.
The female then disappeared from the 2nd April but the male kept on showing with the last sighting on the 26th of May although with concentrating on waders I have,nt been checking the area.
Its way too early for this juv to be a returning bird so must have bred in the area, or locally,but I should start seeing the adults about now if its off my suspected pair.
BS