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