Big enough and buff enough with 6 primary tips.
The black marking on the breast is the wind blowing the feathers.
Another wet morning at Fly Flatts with drizzle and rain throughout on a cold NW>4 at 4 degrees with good visibility.
The weather conditions failed to produce the goods today although boats, windsurfers and canoes were on the water since early morning so birding was restricted to the south and west bank.
Ringed Plovers and Common Sandpipers were present but no sign of yesterdays Sanderling ,as expected, as it spent the whole of yesterday feeding, obviously ready to move on.
A few Herring and LBB gulls were moving and a surprise when a Great Black Backed gull dropped in. I first saw it low over the water with its massive wing span but it landed way over on the NE bank before heading off >NE. Through the scope, the bird was seen to be a 2nd summer with a jet black mantle and upper parts but the covert, tertials and primaries were very worn and faded. From what I could make out the head was plain white with no,or little streaking, whilst the bill was still dark and the legs pink.
The only other highlight was another single Wheatear creeping through but very mobile and keeping its distance. The bird was big enough and long legged enough for a Greenland and although it had a very deep coloured under neck and completely buff underside the rest of the plumage was slightly paler. It had 6 primary tips which could make it Northern or Greenland so nothing really conclusive one way or the other apart from the time of year gives it a better chance of being Greenland.
A few Swift headed >N early morning whilst several were over Mixenden reservoir as I passed at 0745 hrs.
An interesting talk to a local this morning confirming that a pair of Raven nested rearing 4 young, which have now moved on, whilst a pair of Oystercatchers are sitting eggs in the vicinity.
Fly Flatts
2 Ringed Plover
6 Common Sandpiper
1 pr Tufted
3 Reed Bunting
1 Merlin
2 Kestrel
1 Snipe
1 Wheatear sp.
sev Swifts
5 LBB gull...>SE
6 Herring gull..>NE
1 GBB gull on deck then >NE
+ usual sp.
BS