Poor conditions for Fly Flatts a.m. with only 30% cloud , sunshine and a very light NE>3 at 12 degrees.
By late afternoon it was hot and sticky at 21 degrees with a NE>2.
A real disappointing morning up at the res with nothing much showing and just a few LBBs on the move. I thought the overnight fog and rain could have dropped me something in but just wishful thinking . MC text at 0600 hrs to warn me of a move of Black Tailed Godwits but a bird I never expect to see at Fly Flatts. I had one at Leeshaw in July 2002 and 4 at Cold Edge Dams in June 2004 with just 2 Bar Tailed Godwits at Fly Flatts, both early May 2011 or possibly the same bird within 3 days of each other.
For some unknown reason Fly Flatts rarely attracts long legged waders other than the occasional Greenshank and Ruff. Even last year with little water and acres of mud nothing appeared other than the usual small waders, autumn being much quieter than spring.
Late afternoon and still needing a fix I thought of MC finding a mid summer Caspian gull at Oxon and KM finding a Yellow Legged Herring at Redcar Tarn so off I went in search of the gulls. Oxford was a bit far for an hours birding so I settled for Redcar Tarn, Keighley although with the traffic to Keighley I could probably have got to Oxford as quick.
As always at this site,I wasnt disappointed with the gulls with mostly Black Headed and Lesser Black Backed in immaculate summer plumage. Gulls of all ages were present but mainly adults whilst just 8 Herring gulls were showing but no sign of the Yellow Legged.
A very young juv Black Headed was in the field along with several other gulls but none in the cemetery field with the ponds now dried up.
Very little on the water other than the gulls with Mallards, Coot and Moorhen and strangely no Tufted which are usually present in big numbers. Good to get back among the gulls again although none showing in their favourite fields around Cullingworth and Thornton as yet.
Fly Flatts
2 Ringed Plover
3 Common Sandpiper
9 LBB gulls
+ usual sp.
Redcar Tarn
80 + LBB gull
8 Herring gull
c 150 BH gull
BS