After a lot of waiting for a weather change at Fly Flatts today it finally happened bringing 100% ideal
conditions for wader watching. Early fog patches soon cleared to leave a low cloud base, below the tops of the turbines, rain throughout the morning watch on a light NE>4 at 9 degrees.
Late afternoon the rain had turned to drizzle and the wind increased slightly to N>5 at 12 degrees compared to yesterdays 24 degrees.
It was good to get waterproofed up, the dogs coated up and the lens cover on and walk the reservoir in a nice cool wet atmosphere with the whole area transformed back to life. The dusty desert conditions were gone with the mud wet and pools appearing all around the shoreline which in turn brought the birds back to life.
Waders were flying around everywhere moving to different parts of the shore where vegetation is starting to grow with an increase in Dunlin and Ringed Plover .
The water held a drake Tufted duck along with 1 drake Teal and 2 Barnacle geese in with the Canadas.
Around 50 Herring and LBB gulls on the peninsular and good to be able to get some shots of them without the heat distortion although the light was poor sending me onto high iso settings and low exposure.
The two Ringed Plover chicks are very active with the parents close by . Its surprising how aggressive they are for such small birds seeing off gulls and Lapwings . A Lesser Black Backed gull landed near and both Plovers launched at it knocking seven bells out of it till it retreated.
The weather forecast is looking similar for the foreseeable future so hopefully thats the end of the hot stuff for a while,( bit of a selfish remark that).
Fly Flatts
9 Dunlin
4 m 1 f Ringed Plover + 2 chicks
7 Redshank + at least 6 chicks
3 Oystercatchers
10 Common Sandpiper
2 Barnacle geese
1 m Tufted duck
1 m Teal
+ usual sp.
Stay safe, B.S.