Real winter conditions at Fly Flatts this morning with a near gale W>6 gusting 7 bringing misty low clouds over the moor and heavy horizontal drizzle. A bit exciting sweeping the Canada goose poo off the floating jetty ready for tonights sailors, it was like riding the bucking bronco.
At least 11 Wheatear had arrived overnight which must be the last springtime wave through now whilst a female Wheatear I,ve been watching over the last 2 weeks sitting eggs was today busy taking food back to the nest along with the male. A good record for Fly Flatts along with the pair of Ringed Plover that arrived mid February have been acting as if they had young over the last week and this morning I finally found a single, very young and vulnerable chick . Hopefully it will last longer than the 3 chicks produced in 2 broods last year by presumably the same pair.
Otherwise it was down to the usual Redshank, Common Sandpiper, Dunlin and Oystercatcher and 2 Snipe all enjoying their ideal weather conditions, but not mine.
Another mid afternoon trip to Ogden to check on the Mute Swan had an added bonus of the male Pied Flycatcher, earlier found by DJS, flying over the shale pond area briefly from right to left but disappearing into the leaf covered trees beyond the waterfall wall, not to be relocated.
Still no joy on the Redstart, although I could be looking in the wrong area along the top east track. Very poor otherwise with 2 LBB gulls on the water as well as 2 Heron but good to bump into Judy once again , also on swan patrol. The swan is still rather docile but swimming and appearing to feed and when Judy went down the bank to check on it previously it flew a short distance, so nothing can be done other than keep an eye on it and hope it eventually flies.
BS