Fly Flatts, the SE wind provides again.

 

                                         Better count of Common Sandpipers

                                                  2 of 3 Oystercatchers

                                                     5 Dunlin present

Dense fog to start the day clearing by 0930 hrs leaving a day of hazy sunshine but a nice SE>2 increasing 3 and temp rising from 7 to 17 degrees.

                                      With the fog thick to start with it was a matter of walking the bankings checking the shoreline for anything new. This produced 9 Common Sandpipers along the west bank , some very fidgety usually pointing to new arrivals. The usual waders were also around the waters edge with 2 noisy Snipe in the top fields.

                                            As the fog cleared I was scanning the water at the north end from the boatyard when 3 small waders flew from the NE bank across the water until I lost them in the NW corner. With no time to get the scope on them I followed them with the bins and would say 90% Sanderling going by the jizz plus a white wing bar and black trailing edge to the wings.

                                       Late afternoon I headed straight for the NW corner and scoped all the bankings but unable to re locate them so they will have to go down as 'Cud av bins'. A bonus on the walk back to the compound with 5 Dunlin scattered along the south bank.

                                So despite the hot stuff, a decent day saved with the SE wind and another easterly for tomorrow.

Fly Flatts

2 Ringed Plover

5 Dunlin

9 Common Sandpiper

1 Redshank

3 Oystercatchers

3 Snipe

4 Golden Plover

4 Herring gull............>SE

+ usual sp.

BS

Unimpressive weather hits Fly Flatts

 

                                               Early morning fog over the moor

                                    Curlews up and noisy again now that chicks are out.

                                            Fog along the west bank

                                               Several male Reed Buntings gathering food

 A quiet morning so took my turn to swab the decks by clearing all the mounds of

                                            Canada goose poo off the jetty.

                                                    2 Red Legged Partridge

                           4 Golden Plover present, a poor count this year.

Once again the early morning fog soon burnt off leaving me with a day of the dreaded hot stuff with temp rising from 11 to 19 degrees, even higher in Brighouse town centre over midday. The only positive feature was a SE>3 over the water which made things more pleasant and gave a better chance of something moving.

                              Once again, as expected, the area was stagnated with very little movement and nothing in the sky. On the afternoon visit 2 Dunlin flushed from the water side and landed together on the moor making me suspect possible breeding.

                            No Wheatears to be found now dashing my hopes of a June bird, of which I,ve only ever had one in June, that being a very young juvenile which was possibly bred in the area. This was 2 years back and the only June record for me at this sight though I start getting return birds early July.

                          A check on the Nolstar fields found the post breeding Starling flock is now up to around 150.

Fly Flatts

2 Ringed Plover

4 Common Sandpiper

2 Dunlin

1 Redshank

3m Reed Bunting

4 Golden Plover

BS

The Fly Flatts weather stagnates.

 

                                                           1 of 4 Common Sandpiper

                                          Plenty flies so plenty Swallows

                                              Fighting for pole position.

                                                                 given up

                                                     LBBs >SE

                                              Yesterdays Skylark still present, a very rare visitor

Early fog soon cleared but leaving poor reservoir conditions with a very light SE>2 turning S>2 p.m.

Temperature rose from 8 to 14 degrees with plenty sunshine and looking like I will have to put up with the same for the next 3 days. Weather like this just kills reservoir watching.

                                  Snipe were the bird of the morning with 3 up drumming and 2 chipping in the reeds. Waders were the same as usual whilst the pair of Tufted duck were still on the water.

                                  A steady move of LBB gulls headed >SE and yesterdays rare visit from a Skylark found it still in the same area today.

                                 Its getting late in the spring migrant wader season at Fly Flatts now so apart from, the now present waders, the next peak should be mid July onwards with Yellow Legged Herring gulls and returning birds.

Fly Flatts

4 Common Sandpiper

2 Ringed Plover

2 Redshank

5 Snipe

1 pr Tufted

2 RL Partridge

1 Skylark

18 LBB gull...........>SE

+ usual sp.

BS

New visitors for Fly Flatts( permit only)

 

                                                         Still 2 Wheatear present

                                                Redshank probably breeding

                                          Single Dunlin here 2 days.

                          Rare visitor to this site, Black Headed gull

                                       Another rarity here, Gt Crested Grebe

                                       Plenty Swallows attracted to the swarms of flies.

                                            Checking out the boathouse

Not the best of conditions today for this site with a very light N>1 this morning on full cloud at 8 degrees. By late aftrenoon the light breeze had turned E>3 with full cloud and light rain throughout.

                                               A good start to the morning with a Skylark down the entrance track, a very rare species here and only the second sighting this year.

Down at the water more rare visitors were a Gt Crested Grebe along with 2 Black Headed gulls and a pair of Tufted duck, all these first 4 species being irregular visitors to Fly Flatts.

                                             Yesterdays Dunlin was still present along with the usual waders whilst several Swallows were trawling the water enjoying the abundence of flies, which I certainly was not.

                                               A few gulls were overhead but missing out on gull numbers this year with no shore for them to land on at their favourite NE corner.

                                                An interesting report today from a birding couple I spoke to who had seen a pair of Dotterel by the trig point on Bare Clough Hill up on Fly Flatts western ridge a couple of weeks back. The birds were in with Golden Plovers in an area of bare patches in the heather.

Fly Flatts

3 Oyk

2 Ringed Plover

1 Dunlin

1 Snipe

6 Common Sandpiper

1 Redshank

1 Gt Crested Grebe

1 pr Tufted duck

1 Skylark

3 m Reed Bunting

1 pr Pied Wagtail

1 m Nth Wheatear

1 m Greenland Wheatear 

2 BH gull

10 LBB gull..........................>SE

2 Herring gull......................>NE

BS