A cracking morning weather and bird wise at Fly Flatts with full cover light grey skies on a SE>2 increasing by late afternoon to SE>4. A temp of 2 degrees and heavy frost with banks of freezing fog passing through but luckily keeping low to the east and west of me so not affecting the watch. A great morning to be out.
Woodpigs and Pinkies were the birds of the day with pigeons coming over in their thousands until 0830 hrs when they petered off with just the dregs drifting through even into the late afternoon. One flock counted at just over 600 birds, an amazing sight but well to the south of me though they were moving on a broad front.
Pink Footed Geese seemed to be giving it a last push with 2 skeins this morning and one this afternoon with 2 more reports for lunch time and mid afternoon in nearby areas.
Big gulls started arriving at 1515 hrs as the light began to fade with around 100 present before I left all on the north shore.
I have,nt yet sorted whether these birds are just pre roost or the start of a winter gull roost as there is no shoreline over the Nab at TMR. Hopefully a winter roost will be established here which will make some interesting watching over the winter. The annual roost over the hill attracts in excess of 10,000 gulls.
Vis Mig
2170 Woodpigs.............................>S
213 Starling.................................>NW
227 Pinkies.................................>NW.............3 skeins 28,71,128.
43 Fieldfare................................>NW
26 Redwing............................... >NW
31 Lapwing................................>S
7 Golden Plover.........................>S
2 Greylag...................................>NW............very high
Present
c 32 Herring gull
c 52 LBB gull
12 BH gull
3 Common gull
2 Canada
BS
On the way home late afternoon the Pit Lane football pitches held C 200 small gulls and at least
5 Golden plover along with 100 + Starling.
BS