2 adult female Shelduck way over in the NW corner.
Decent conditions today with a full cloudy sky this morning with an E>3 at 15 degrees. Late afternoon found full sun at 20 degrees but a stronger cooling E>4. First birds scoped were 2 Golden Plover out on the north shore so a walk on the east bank to get something near in camera range, although the heat distortion had other ideas, so a couple of record shots of what has turned out to be a rare bird at this site this year.
Whilst this was going on a birder appeared walking down the public path to the north of the water. A scope revealed it to be DP and as he got near the inlet channel 2 Shelduck were flushed flying a large circuit then landing again on the mud in the NW corner. By this time Dave had disappeared below the banking so whether or not he ever saw the birds I dont know.
After a few minutes they went back into the water and disappeared back up the channel towards the inlet never to be seen again. If Dave hadnt flushed them from the corner they would probably have gone unseen.
Late afternoon I walked the west bank up to the NW inlet but no sign of the Shelducks. Two Grey Partridge flew low over the moor, another rarity this year, whilst Swallows and Swifts moved overhead.
A Merlin, 4 Kestrel and a Buzzard made up the raptors but gulls gave a poor show with just 14 on the bank and a few drifting over to TMR.
A good 2 sessions of birding but poor at the moment for photography with everything on the range limit and excessive heat distortion.
Visible Migration
13 Swift.......................>S
22 Swallow.................>SE
6 Wheatear..................blogging
2 ad f Shelduck...........blogging
2 Golden Plover..........blogging
Present
14 LBB gulls
2 Grey Partridge
1 Merlin
1 Buzzard
4 Kestrel
+ usual sp.
BS