Heavy overnight snow left treacherous roads and a 3" covering of snow at Fly Flatts with a temperature of minus 1 degree but blue skies and sunshine on a N>3 . By mid afternoon the sun had shifted most of the snow with temperatures up to 5 degrees and a very light W>2 which put a stop to the sail boats. Heavy hail showers came through one after the other , some with hailstones the size of pot-nurs.
Very quiet in the conditions with the 2 Ringed Plovers looking out of place in the snow, not the type of weather they are used to. A few Snipe were up chipping with 3 Raven overhead. Otherwise it was down to the usual geese, Lapwings, Curlews etc, it still being too cold on the tops to entice a second wave of Wheatear or Ring Ouzels, the latter arriving 23rd March last year with 5 in the boatyard.
Back at the Nolstar field, late p.m. when the snow had thawed, 117 Golden Plover were present, all carefully checked for Dotterel.
BS