First Dunlin for 4 days.
JM and AT managed to scope these from the top road with
some guidance.
and then it gave a flash of leg.
A poor morning with sunshine and a very light SW>3 improving p.m. with 100% cloud cover on a light SW>4 with light rain in the wind.
Every day of July so far I,ve had a new bird in to Fly Flatts and this continued today with 2 newcomers. Early morning saw a Dunlin arrive from the SE, landing on the ponds alongside the long staying Ringed Plover. This is the first Dunlin for 4 days. Near the end of the watch a single Oystercatcher dropped into the ponds along with 2 of the 3 remaining Common Sandpipers.
The second newcomer proved to be one of my target birds that I,ve been expecting for a few weeks now.
It started late afternoon with my usual once over with the scope of the shorelines to check for waders then a scan across through the gulls on the east bank. Only 15 LBBs were present plus 1 Herring which seemed a bit strange and started alarm bells ringing so a twitchers type dash along the west bank to get opposite the gull flock.
On scoping the Herring gull it immediately hit me as being a real bruiser of a bird with a large head shape good enough for a Yellow Legged Herring gull but all the gulls were waist deep in water with no legs showing. A waiting game next hoping for the bird to move to shallower water but it just spent its time preening. A couple of times , through the scope, I was sure I saw yellow legs as it paced about in the water and lifted its leg a couple of times but I did,nt have enough proof as yet although later, on the computer, its yellow leg showed up clear as it raised it out of the water.
Thirty minutes went by and after a couple of drinks it started stretching its wings before lifting off out of the water showing its brilliant yellow legs which Big Bertha was only too happy to get photos of as she was sat on the tripod and focused up ready and waiting for the bird to move.
Daffy duck the bad mother Mallard was again swimming in and out of the gulls along with her remaining duckling. I don,t know if the gulls feel sorry for her so leave the duckling alone or shes paying them protection money to look after it.
Next target birds to come, Med gull, Caspian gull and a nice assortment of waders plus of course HCs prediction of Pratincole which may be a bit ambitious and would be a nice lifer for me.
Male or Female Mick.... 1st photo looks like male shape head, 2nd photo looks rounded like female. Think I,d say male with heavy bill !
BS