A good finish to the month, Whimbrel.

 

                                       Nice find by DJS, Whimbrel at Cold Edge Dams.

                                                   Feeding well

A mid afternoon visit to Fly Flatts with a diversion to Cold Edge Dams after a text from DJS with a Whimbrel located near to the dams. A moderate W>4 was blowing with broken cloud and some sunshine at 10 degrees.

                        On arrival the bird was still present feeding well but keeping at distance and against the sun angle for photos. A cracking find by Dave , a bird that could easily have been dismissed as a Curlew.

                        Fly Flatts was just a quick visit producing the usual waders with 3 Common Sandpiper, 4 Dunlin, and the usual 2 Ringed Plovers.

                      A pair of Teal flew over the water as well as 5 Swallow. Boats on the water so could,nt check the east bank or compound area

                      Two more messages today with a White Stork >W over Thornton, M.P. and a Whinchat on Nab Water Lane, B.V.

BS

Wader activity, Fly Flatts. (permit only)

 

                                                2 pair of Greylag with young

                                            6 Dunlin now present

                                                         1 pair of Teal

                                                     5 Common Sandpiper              

                                             At least 5 Redshank

                                                 1 pair Ringed Plover

                                                      3 noisy Raven

                                               1st Canada young today

                                                           Raven mobbed by Curlew

A lovely bright dry morning at Fly Flatts with some early haze brought in by the SE>2 turning >E at 4 degrees with broken cloud and sunshine.

                  With the water level still dropping in the dry period and the valve being open to feed the stream there is more shore showing daily which is inviting in the waders.

                  Dunlin were up to 6 this morning along with 5 Common Sandpiper, one of which is holding territory, 1 pair of Ringed Plover and at least 5 Redshank.

                   The two pair of Greylag surprised me, both having young, and the first Canada goslings have appeared which in turn brought in 6 LBB gulls and 3 Raven, although the Greylags ,in previous years, have had no difficulty in raising their families.

                   The pair of Teal are present daily now but always at distance whilst 2 Wheatear were present and 5 Swallows flew low and >S over the water. The annual breeding Swallows are back at their usual nest site on Balkram Edge.

                  The Barnacle and Canada pair are always present but no sign of breeding so far.

The next waders on the list for May are Ruff, Sanderling, Turnstone, Whimbrel and Little Ringed Plover although I,m not holding my breath on the latter as this is a very poor site for this LRPs.

BS

More Dunlin for Fly Flatts (permit only).

 

                                             2 Common Sandpipers present.

                                                    1 of 4 Ringed Plover

                                                  Single male Tufted.

                                          Just 1 pair of Wheatear present.  male

                                                female

                                1  Pair of Pied Wagtails looking like nesting again this year

                                 Redshank and 1 of 3 Dunlin way out on the peninsular.

Another cold but decent morning with an E>3 at 3 degrees and full cloud cover.

                                     Good to get more Dunlin in with 3 new arrivals on the peninsular though very distant and keeping to the north end. I,m hoping for more shore and a good passage of Dunlin to try id all 3 races which pass through in the spring, these being, our common breeder schinzii, plus rare passage migrant artica and passage migrant and wintering Dunlin alpina. Artica is the smallest race with shortest bill but alpina, with the longest bill, and schinzii can only really be split when in summer breeding plumage and the races would really have to be seen together for comparison.

                             I,ve had alpina in the past but at very low water level with 48 Dunlin to go through.  Alpina has several plumage differences including larger black belly patch. This race was found early June which is a prime time, late May to early June. Also 3 probable alpina in winter plumage were at Mixenden reservoir in the ice and snow early March 2018 first found by DJS.

                      Also this morning at Fly Flatts were :-

4 Ringed plover

5 Redshank

2 Oystercatchers

2 Common Sandpiper

1 pr Teal

1 m Tufted

1 pr Wheatear

+ usual sp.

Swifts showing down in Oxford (MC)

BS

Fly Flatts and a mornings camera work deleted.

 A cold but clear morning at Fly Flatts with full light cloud cover on a NE>3 at 3 degrees.

                    An active morning for birds with now 2 Common Sandpipers present and a single Dunlin as well as the usual Redshanks and Ringed Plovers.

                    A single Snipe flushed from the dyke whilst 2 were 'chipping' in the top field and 2 Oystercatchers were nearby. Very little in the air other than 5 LBB gulls>NE, a single Peregrine over the Nab and 3 Buzzard up together over the western ridge with just the 1 Wheatear today.

                On the way home 18 Golden Plover were in the Nolstar field including a brilliant Northern bird.

Driving through Bradshaw a Little Owl was sat on a street light which made me swing round in the road and jump out to get some cracking close shots, but then disaster.

                                                   Back home I downloaded 150 images, from the morning session, onto the laptop whilst on the phone to the vets at the same time. Whilst listening to music and waiting in a queue to be answered , instead of concentrating on what I was doing, my photos came into view on the laptop so I deleted them from the camera ready for the next session. What I didnt see was a pop up saying an error has occurred , photos not saved, and there they were gone.

                                 When the vet finally answered I hope she did,nt hear me sobbing. Luckily I soon forgot the photos when she told me the bill for Ollies dental was £600.

BS   

                  

March 2020, an exceptional spring for Ring Ouzel at Fly Flatts.

 A complete non birding day today stuck in waiting around for workmen so before withdrawal symptoms set in, and just having my first of the year Ring Ouzel at Fly Flatts I looked back at a once in a lifetime experience with a fall of Ring Ouzel at Fly Flatts in and around the boat compound throughout March 2020 and into early April although lock down made me miss the date they left. Work on the reservoir was on going at the time with men and machinery in and out of the compound which did,nt bother the birds at all. A first time experience for me and one probably never to be seen again.

                                           All the birds were male with 5 present at one point

All photos B.S.