A clear start at Fly Flatts then heavy drizzle and low cloud by 0930 hrs not clearing until after 1000 hrs when I was tackling up.
First job, before the weather front arrived was to walk the length of the west bank to the NW corner to check for the Spotted Redshank but after a thorough scoping of the north and east bank there was no sign of the bird. Two days seems to be the limit for these rarer waders before moving on.
Nothing in the way of vis mig this morning and very little sign of bird life with just Whinchat, Stonechat, Whitethroat and Mipits in the boatyard whilst the water has started holding a few drake Mallard, now in full eclipse looking very similar to the females.
With Fly Flatts quiet I thought of Doe park for the afternoon session but traffic was horrendous
at Denholme Gate late morning due to temporary lights so decided on the easy version of Ringby Top, 5 minutes from home.
The sweet aroma of muck spreading was in the air but amazingly not a gull in sight with all the fields being well overgrown. Even the smelly wagon buildings held no gulls.
There are acres of ideal habitat up there for passing migrants but not a bird ,other than, Linnet, Meadow Pipit and Goldfinch, the latter being very impressive with a flock of over 140 moving around the thistle tops.
Even 30 minutes sky watching became a chore with nothing other than the usual corvids.
I suppose this had to happen after 4 cracking days at Fly Flatts.
Fly Flatts
1 Whinchat
3 Stonechat
1 Whitethroat
sev Mipits
+ usual sp.
Ringby Top
140 + Goldfinch
15 Linnet
sev Mipit
sev Corvids
BS