Fog on the tops this morning but Leeshaw kept below the cloud base with a moderate W>5 bringing drizzle at 5 degrees. By mid afternoon the wind at Fly Flatts had turned WSW and increased to near gale force WSW>7 at 34 m.p.h. at 6 degrees with bright skies.
Leeshaw was very active with wall to wall birds but nothing other than the usual species although a count of 12 Redshank was something of a record here.
Gulls are now noticeable by their absence with just 3 LBBs, 2 Herring and 2 Black Headeds all making their way west whilst a male Goosander was on the water along with the long staying Pink Footed goose + a good count of Greylag and Canadas.
It was a matter of ' od onto thi cap' at Fly Flatts with the wind so strong it was hard to open the car door. Waves were lashing over the banking but the 4 Ringed Plovers present never flinched as they fed along the waters edge with spray splashing over them. These long staying 2 pairs of birds are looking like they want to breed but there is just no suitable banking that is undisturbed.
One of the pairs have been around since 28th of February, possibly the pair that successfully raised 2 young here last year when the water was down.
As this morning, gulls were sparce with 6 LBBs and 3 Herring >NW.
On the way home, the daily check of the Nolstar field produced 27 Golden Plover which is a good sign now that we are almost at the Dotterel time of the year with my Soil Hill bird being 17/4/08 and the Nolstar trio being 1st and 2nd of May 2017.
Leeshaw
1m Goosander
1 PF goose
2 Little Owl
12 Redshank
9 Oyks
3 LBB gull.......> W
2 Herring gull...>W
2 Black Headed gull....>W
+ usual sp
Fly Flatts
2 pr Ringed Plover
3 Herring....................>NW
6 LBB........................>NW
27 Golden Plover..........Nolstar
BS