An horrendous day weather wise with 28 degrees on a very light N>2 turning W>3 in the afternoon with full blue skies and wall to wall sunshine.
I put on my blog last night that the high pressure would hold back migration but should,nt affect moving waders which came true today big time.
I resigned myself to only walking half the west bank in the heat but luckily carried on to near the NW corner thinking, what if ! Three parts of the way on a long legged wader dropped in disappearing into the heat shimmer and immediately I though , unusual for a single Curlew so possible Whimbrel.
A quick dash on and to my amazement, there on the cobbles, was a stonking Black Tailed Godwit. A first for this site for me and in full adult summer plumage, though hard to say male or female with the head and neck a slightly faded orange due to it being a possible female, or male with worn plumage, either way, bird of the year for Fly Flatts.
The bird kept getting harassed with the 2 local Carrion crows but never flew more than a few yards along the banking where I re located it late afternoon.
As I was tackling up late afternoon a noisy male Merlin skimmed over and a juv Dunlin dropped down into the lagoon area after having a close escape.
The Blackwit was still present as I left showing well on the waters edge even though there were boats and wind surfers on the water. Unfortunately such a splendid and rare bird for this area caused no interest with only a single birder turning up to see it.
Several Black Tailed Godwits have been showing at various non local sights, Oxon has done well for them lately, but it was the last species I expected to see today.
Fly Flatts
1 Black Tailed Godwit
2 Ringed Plover
1 Common Sandpiper
1 Juv Dunlin
1m Merlin
1 Peregrine
2 Kestrel
+ usual sp.
BS