Very dark clouds and light rain early morning with a moderate W>4 increasing 5 by pm at 8 degrees.
With workmen off for the weekend I took the advantage of walking the west bank to see how much of the east shoreline was hidden from view and was surprised to find a bay that cannot be seen from my usual walk along the east bank which explains where the waders sometimes disappear to.
The morning was very quiet wader wise with just a single Ringed Plover and 3 Dunlin found as well as the usual Common Sandpipers. The Robin rock held 5 Wheatear with another 2 below the west bank so 7 still present and possibly the 2 that are usually by the entrance track.
The late afternoon session was a different story being very lively with waders throughout plus around 60 big gulls, 25% being Herrings . Unfortunately I chose to walk on the east banking which turned out to be a bad move with the wind increased to W>5 so both the sun and wind was against me and all the gulls were facing into the wind with their backs to me.
Also the waders were now favouring the west shore so everything was through a very wobbly, windblown scope.
A group of 4 Ringed Plover were joined by another 6 which dropped in from the west all feeding along the west shore before disappearing later not to be relocated.
The 9 Dunlin were feeding on the peninsular among the gulls even moving the gulls out of the way from time to time.An effort to get some pictures of the distant Dunlins failed to get anything presentable due to heat shimmer off the mud.
Hopefully this may be the start of a move but we,ll see what tomorrow brings with an even stronger westerly forecast.
Fly Flatts
10 Ringed Plover
9 Dunlin
sev Common Sandpiper
7 Wheatear
+ usual sp.
Stay safe, BS