An acceptable morning at 12 degrees on a light S>3 and nil cloud cover. The afternoon was horrific at 25 degrees and so much heat distortion the shoreline was unworkable. A nice S>4 breeze just eased the situation.
Knowing that the afternoon session would be pointless in the conditions I just ventured up to check out the gulls after believing I had a Yellow Legged Herring gull before I left this morning but not enough to say definite before they all lifted off.
Just the usual waders in the morning and the 3 long staying Wheatear with, as expected, the Greenland gone.
Around 100 big gulls this morning but very fidgety moving from the peninsular to the north shore and all settling down on the mud. As they took off I scoped a yellow legged , pale mantled bird , Herring type but a quick hand held photo in the heat shimmer failed to prove anything.
By late afternoon the gull numbers had increased to around 150 but in the heat they were all crouched down belly flat to the mud and with the amount of distortion I called it off.
Hopefully this hot stuff won,t last.
Fly Flatts
12 Dunlin
1 Ringed Plover
9 Common Sandpiper
2 Redshank
5 Curlew
3 Oystercatchers
1 m Teal
3 Wheatear
c 150 Herring/LBB gulls
+ usual sp.
Stay safe, BS