Secondries missing.
A very poor morning weather wise with more low cloud, mist and very heavy drizzle but improving by late p.m. with full cloud cover, a light W>3 at 12 degrees and despite the large black clouds the watch remained dry throughout.
Very grim weather this morning but exactly as it was 12 months to the day ago when 3 Avocets came over >SW turning up by a Manchester reservoir the day after. Unfortunately I had just arrived and barely got out of the car so a camera opportunity missed .
The bad start to the month was finding the Oystercatchers gone from the area meaning the 2 chicks did,nt make it . Oystercatcher chicks are immobile for the first 24 hours whereas most other waders are active as soon as they dry out.
The Oystercatcher chicks were unlucky to hatch in the worst 3 days of weather with gale force winds and driving rain and even though the adult bird tried to keep them dry under her wing the elements must have been too much at such an early stage.
The good start to the month was a Red Kite very high over the water heading >SW and being mobbed with Swifts. This bird would have been missed if I had,nt been watching some Herring gulls go over at the same time. It made up for the Wainstalls Kite grapevined this morning heading my way but must have changed course when it saw the clag hanging over Fly Flatts.
Swifts were piling over >W probably keeping in front of the rain clouds, otherwise nothing else new but now that we are into July anything can happen.
Fly Flatts
1 pr Ringed Plover + 2 juvs at 32 days old
6 Common Sandpiper
1 Red Kite
several Swift
1f Mallard + 7 duckling
2 Tufted duck
+ usual sp.
BS