Like being out on the estuary. Fly Flatts ( No public access)

 Peregrine appearing out of the fog.,

                                      Mallard, Daffy duck had a near miss

  The idea seems to keep splashing until its gone.

         Sat in the east shore heat haze p.m.

                        Common Sandpiper      east cobbles area.

                                                 juv Ringed Plover a.m.

                                          Adult, east shore

                                        juv and adult

                                  1 of 4 Curlew.

                                   Using on of the new islands

      2cy     Herring gull , poss YL. , so far just going by head shape
                 and smudge around eye. Will have to consult MCs notes
                                    on this one.
         

             Estuary conditions, Curlews in the distance, NW corner

                                    Ringed plovers on the island

                  2 well hidden in rocks on Peregrine watch

I think Fly Flatts was the only place in England to be in thick fog this morning with even Queensbury being bright. Most of the first hour was spent in fog and drizzle until it eventually cleared with a light SW>3 and 8 okts cloud cover. By late afternoon it had gone from one extreme to the other with 26 degrees and cloudy sunshine with the wind increased to SW>4 making it feel a bit more pleasant.
                                                     Despite the conditions birding was good although apart from Meadow Pipits moving >SW, with several ground hopping, the skies were quiet with a very poor Swallow count.
                        First bird this morning was a Peregrine appearing through the fog in close pursuit of a Stock Dove but then decided duck was a better option swooping down and skimming over the well known Daffy ,which is still present with her 1 remaining young although you can hardly tell the 2 apart now though I have,nt seen the young one fly. Daffy quacked loudly and kept splashing the water until the Pere moved on wishing it had settled for pigeon.
                      The east bank still held yesterdays 7 Ringed Plover and a single Common Sandpiper with hundreds of Mipits around the shorelines and in the lagoon area.
                      The afternoon saw a change in the weather to my pet hate, hot sun and blue skies although a nice SW>4 kept the heat and flies at bay.
                      With the Peregrine sat on the NE shore there were just 2 adult and 1 juv Ringed Plover to be found along with the Common Sandpiper all hiding in the rocks on one of the new islands whilst the Pere was around.
                        A walk the full length of the west bank failed to turn anything else up but half way back  a Curlew flew over calling before dropping down on a spit near the south end.
When I got back on there and scoped across 4 Curlews were present before moving across to the Ringed Plover island and then across to the NW corner preening in a pond there.
                        The east bank Peregrine kept flying a bit closer to their position until suddenly the 4 Curlew launched themselves at the Peregrine seeing it off before they heading off high and >SW.

Vis Mig
8 Swallow........................>S
163 Mipits.......................>W
4 Curlew.........................blogging then  >SW

Bloggers
1 Common Sandpiper
7 Ringed Plover
BS