Another cracking day at Fly Flatts calm, clear conditions this morning and excellent reservoir watching weather late afternoon with heavy rain throughout on a light SE>3 though visibility was cut down.
Mid way through this mornings watch a group of 8 more Dunlins dropped in along with 2 Ringed Plover arriving from the SE , making 26 Dunlin present and 3 Ringed Plover.
A count of 9 Redshank was good and at least 19 Common Sandpiper along with 4 very young juvs by the ponds mixing in with the juv Lapwings.
The pair of Tufted were still present along with 2 Oystercatchers and strangely the 2 pair of Greylag and goslings that have been missing for days suddenly reappeared this morning with 1 of the large goslings missing and one of the smaller ones.
With only a handful of gulls present this morning the Canadas ventured out onto the water with their young with a count of 148 adults and 43 goslings, this number being well down on last years 300 + adults.
This afternoons weather was the icing on the cake for reservoir watching with an amazing watch throughout.
On arrival I just managed to get a walk in for the team before the heavy rain moved in so positioning the car in the boatyard the wind was ideal from the SE so I could stand sheltered behind the tailgate looking straight out onto the water.
The place was alive with waders constantly flying to and fro from the south shore across to the east shore and back all busily feeding and preening in the waters edge and pools. Dunlin and Ringed Plovers were constantly squabbling whilst Redshank probed further out in the water.
During a particularly heavy period of lashing rain a female Common Scoter rocketed in from the SW skimming low over the water and landed way across in the NW corner by the gulls only to immediately take off again over the banking and away west. Big Bertha was on the tripod but with a rain cover over which I never even had chance to drag off as it all happened so quick.
This Scoter is nearly a fortnight earlier than my usual sightings up there but a species I was expecting at any time. Lets hope the next stays longer which they usually do, this one possibly being spooked by the gulls.
Had a meet with Bentleys site foreman up there today who gave the final ok for my presence up there whilst work is on going as long as I stick to the east and south areas and sign in and out at their mobile office on my arrival and departure though they will have to get there early to beat me. Work commences the end of July/early August and the office cabins were to be placed in the SW corner but the 2 female ornithologists/ botanists have found some rare grasses in that area which are high up on the conservation list so the cabins are now to be placed on the track as last year.
Maybe HSS will be interested in this. I hope the sheep know about it!
BS