A steady start to the morning weather wise with a SW>4 and slight haze over the moor at 5 degrees.
By 1000 hrs the wind started to increase and down came the rain.
By mid afternoon the weather at Fly Flatts was excellent reservoir tackle with a strong near gale SW>7 gusting gale force SW>8 blowing at 39 m.p.h. with heavy to torrential rain throughout.
A walk the full length of the west bank early morn found nothing new with just the usual waders and a few big gulls through >SW. Buzzard, Kestrel,Merlin and Sparrowhawk were around and a few Swallows low over the water >S.
A much livelier afternoon although in the awesome conditions I had to set up shop behind the car plus partly sheltered by the clubhouse building.
Watching was reminiscent of being on an estuary with water lashing over the banking and the whole area alive with waders flying about over the water from one side to the other.
Common Sandpipers were everywhere making it impossible to get a count for fear of double counting whilst a group of 11 Redshank dropped in onto the North bank disappearing in the spray and spume. Shortly after a group of 6 Dunlin flew fast and low over the water heading >N.
A good count of Herring gull came through heading into the SW wind as well as a few LBBs but no sign of target birds, Terns, Little Gull or anything else maritime.
I had Ringed Plovers and Common Sandpipers in the boatyard near to me probing in the soft wet short grass.
Swallows were trickling >S and the heavier the rain the more they came through skimming the peaks of the waves before disappearing low across the moor.
A great afternoon and possibly some of the same forecast for tomorrow. Hopefully the wind and rain today will have redistributed some waders.
Fly Flatts
2 Ringed Plover
c15 Common Sandpiper, just a guesstimate as could have double counted.
4 Redshank + group of 11 movers
6 Dunlin..................>N
2 Oyk
111 Herring gull.......>SW
14 LBB gull.............>SW
c 100 Swallow.........>S
1 Buzzard
1 Merlin
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Kestrel
2 RL Partridge
1 pr Pied Wagtail
5 Goldies.....Nolstar
+ usual sp.
BS