A similar day to yesterday with full dark cloud and light drizzle showers both morning and afternoon on a moderate NE>4 increasing NE>5 and cold at 6 degrees rising to 10 degrees late afternoon.
Gulls were the bird of the day with several Herrings in with the Lesser Black Backed whilst Herrings were moving west throughout the day. A Cormorant flew high over the water >NE which is not a common bird for this site. Swifts were also moving in good numbers late afternoon all heading >SE.
The 2 Ringed Plover chicks are still going strong at 12 days old so are nearly half way to fledging but are still very tiny and vulnerable looking running around on the mud although the parent birds are very aggressive towards any bird getting too close.
Three Golden Plover were in the entrance track field, another rare bird this year with a flock of 137 at this time last year. The flock started to build up on the Flat Moor early spring but were flushed when the Sphagnum moss planting project was on and they never returned.
Thanks to PK at B.O.G. for his e mail with kind words on my reports and photos of the breeding activities at Fly Flatts , a good enthusiasm booster when the going gets tough.
More wind and rain tomorrow which will hopefully bring me some Dunlin back in.
Fly Flatts
4 Ringed Plover + 2 chicks
6 Common Sandpiper + 4 chicks
1 Redshank
3 Snipe
2 Oystercatchers
3 Golden Plover
1 Cormorant....................>NE
2 Barnacle geese
32 Herring gull.......+ several over >W
41 LBB gull
sev Swift......>SE
BS