Lovely to be back in the cool, fresh air at Fly Flatts today even though conditions were poor for movers throughout with heavy drizzle and mist both the morning and afternoon watch.
Low scud clouds piled through and by 0945 hrs this morning fog had stopped the job. The afternoon was misty but managed to keep horizontal vision despite heavy drizzle showers.
All the waders had moved on before the weather front hit with nothing coming in today surprisingly in the conditions.
Despite the poor visibility I had a decent assortment of movers with a single Swift which must be very nearly my last this time whilst 9 Wheatear came ground hopping through from the north shore, across the islands onto the south shore and then away >S over Slade.
Apart from the movers and blogging Mipits the only birds present were Tufted duck, Teal and Mallard as well as the last 4 remaining Canadas.
Checking the shoreline is getting more difficult every day now that the water is so low with the south end shoreline a great distance from the track and dipping down to the water so birds are easily hidden from view.
The east shore mud area has now become the north shore with water gone from the top half of the reservoir and even the new islands are already joining to the shore. I can very rarely get on the west bank now and within the next few weeks it will all be fenced off so all viewing will have to be from the south end and from the east just beyond the boat yard.
After the vis mig season and when all the waders are gone, as well as the water, it looks like the place will be redundant over the winter which was the time winter wildfowl kept me going through to the spring.
Vis Mig
5 Herring gull.......................>SW
22 Mipits..............................>S
14 Swallows........................>S
11 House Martin.................>S
1 Swift...............................>S
9 Wheatear........................>S
Bloggers
sev Mipits
1pr Tufted
2 Teal
Present
4 Mallard
BS