As forecast, the wind was the feature today blowing at NW>5 turning N>6 then easing p.m. to NE>4
with sunshine but several very heavy rain showers mostly in the afternoon. The temp was 8 degrees.
Another 2 hectic visits today with the strong wind and heavy rain making viewing difficult, especially with the mud now wet and glistening in the sun. The SE corner ponds are getting well topped up now and large areas of the mud in the basin is too soft to walk on.
Plenty wader movement but still down to the regular species with numbers alternating daily. The 2 Ringed Plover chicks are getting more adventurous moving around on their own along with several Lapwing and Redshank chicks whilst Curlew chicks are sticking to the fields.
Linnets seemed to have bred well with several flocks of adult and juvenile birds moving around the area. Golden Plovers are scarce this year with just 4 showing today and none on the Flat Moor.
Plenty Swifts moving in front of the showers again with a mass also over Mixenden reservoir whilst around 40 House Martins were feeding round trees by the old Hebble Brook pub, probably from the breeding colony at the top of Whitegate.
Fly Flatts
1 Oystercatcher
8 Dunlin
2 Ringed Plover + 2 chicks
10 Common Sandpiper
4 Golden Plover
5 Curlew
2 Snipe
1 Kestrel
c 25 Linnet
2 Skylark
1f Merlin
c 100 Herring/LBB gulls
sev Swift.
BS