A very wet morning with heavy showers on a NW>4 clearing by mid watch at 7 degrees. By late afternoon the wind had increased considerably to W>5 with more showers which is improving the
area by topping up the gulleys and ponds with some good areas of vegetation growing on the mud which the waders seem to enjoy.
Another very lively day with more Ringed Plovers arriving and the 2 chicks very active for their small size covering the whole area of the shoreline by darting along the mud at great speed closely watched by the parent birds. Its frightening to watch them with around 200 Herring/LBB gulls present but so far so good.
Otherwise it was down to the usual waders but good to know that there are Ruff, Sanderling and Little Stint at reservoirs to the SW of me. Most reservoirs have shoreline after the long dry spell so the waders are spoilt for choice this year whereas last year Fly Flatts was about the only reservoir with shoreline due to drainage so I got the lot.
Well found to Dan Branch for his Little Stint, a mega rare bird around the area which was a common visitor in the early nineties around the Bradford reservoirs.
I remember going to Chelker reservoir with HC in 1993 to see a juv bird and my last sighting locally of this species was a single at Fly Flatts in 1994 plus 3 birds at TMR the day after that I watched with MC, PC and DCB. Curlew Sandpiper was another regular visitor which has now gone.
At least the wet and windy weather is paying off bringing in the birds so see what the strong winds and heavy rain for tomorrow can do.
Fly Flatts
4m 2f Ringed Plover + 2 chicks
8 Dunlin
1 Oyk
7 Common Sandpiper
Steady flow of Swifts >NW
1 Kestrel
c 200 Herring/LBB gulls.............75 % LBB
+ usual sp.
BS