A bad end to the month, fog and canoes.

 Dense fog and heavy rain on the tops today till well after midday then a bright late afternoon but canoes on the water at Fly Flatts. Boats are always out on a weekend afternoon which are no problem to the shore birds but the canoes tend to go right around the perimeter of the shoreline which flushes anything present.

                                                The only wader found was a single Common Sandpiper which briefly flew across the water but nothing else other than a few Black Headed and Lesser Black Backed gulls.

A shortened session so spent the last 30 minutes scanning the farm area for DJSs Black Redstart but not to be found with just 1 Wheatear and several Swallows. The only thing of note this afternoon was a constant flow of Swifts over >S, the first I,ve had for over a week, with an estimated count of around 150 and several more feeding on Balkram Edge over the recycling plant.

                           Hopefully a fog free morning  tomorrow and start the month off with another special wader, Grey Plover, Knot, Green Sandpiper or Curlew Sandpiper would do for a start plus a revisit of last years Spotted Redshank.

BS

Peering through the fog, Fly Flatts,(permit only)

 A misty start at the reservoir with thick fog rolling in by 0815 hrs and light drizzle on a SW>3 at 12 degrees. The fog continued through in banks throughout the watch with a few very short periods of partial clearance.

                Only around 40% of the shore could be checked this morning with no visibility to the north shore where yesterdays Greenshank was found.

                The only wader found was a single adult Ringed Plover along with 1 Herring, 2 LBB and 8 Black Headed gull on the near shore. Around 6 Wheatear were present and a check on the Pied Wagtail nest found all 3 eggs hatched with healthy, well feathered chicks looking about a week from fledging. If these 3 survive the Pied Wag pair will have raised 5 young this year.

               On the way back Nolstar fields were just below the cloud base and 3 Curlew flew over >E. These could have possibly been Whimbrel as very short billed but not calling and more likely to be juv Curlew.

This coincides with a Curlew sighting over Ogden this morning also,(NK). Gull numbers are building in the Balkram Edge fields but only Black Headeds present this morning.

             More light wind and rain for morning which could mean more fog but hopefully not.

BS

Another star prize for Fly Flatts, (permit only)

 

                                         Coming in to land

                                   Distant shots of todays special guest, juv Greenshank

                                           All taken at 960mm in dark sky and rain.

Another morning of good reservoir conditions at Fly Flatts with full dark cloud cover and heavy rain showers at 13 degrees on a light SE>2.

                       Most of yesterdays waders had moved on just leaving a single Ringed Plover as well as an Oystercatcher on the mud at the north end of the water. During a particularly heavy rain shower a juvenile Greenshank dropped in from the east and landed on the mud at the north end but kept at great distance and was very mobile flying up and down the distant shoreline until it settled alongside the Oystercatcher feeding at the waters edge but still right on the cameras limit.

                      Around 9 Wheatear were still present on the shore with 15 Lapwing and a few Black Headed gulls.

The Greenshank today makes 15 wader species at Fly Flatts so far this year :-

Oystercatcher

Little Ringed Plover

Ringed Plover

Golden Plover

Lapwing

Sanderling

Dunlin

Snipe

Black Tailed Godwit

Whimbrel

Curlew

Redshank

Greenshank

Common Sandpiper

Turnstone.

BS

Another special for Fly Flatts (permit only)

 

                                            6 Redshank and 1 Sanderling

                                              Special bird for Fly Flatts, ad Sanderling

                                                   6 Juv Redshank arrived

                                     Not a good thing to have around chicks, Weasel

                                               Possibly a second Sanderling .

                                                          Sanderling with Dunlin

                                                   2 of 4 Dunlin with Sanderling

                                                           2 Ringed Plover

                                   Sanderling, Ringed Plover, Dunlin  all at distance.

                                            Autumn plumage Wheatear.

Perfect conditions at Fly Flatts this morning with full cloud cover and light drizzle at 12 degrees on a light SE>2 with good visibility.

                It started off quiet and looking like it was going to be a poor morning but by 0830 hrs it all started to happen. A group of 6 juv Redshank dropped in and as I scoped through them I found an adult Sanderling among the rocks nearby. They stayed about 15 minutes and then headed off high and >SW along with the Sanderling.

                  More walking and scoping produced, Common Sandpiper, Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Oystercatcher along with at least 14 Wheatear, several in full autumn plumage, along ith 2 Raven and a very inquisitive Weasel.

                 With conditions ideal and waders so active I made a second trip up there late afternoon which provided me with another 2 Dunlin plus a second Ringed Plover and another, or possibly the same, Sanderling which was in the same year plumage but I watched the morning bird leave very high >SW with the Redshanks.

FLY FLATTS

1 Oystercatcher

4 Dunlin

2 Ringed Plover

2 Sanderling

1 Common Sandpiper

6 Redshank

14 Wheatear

2 Raven

+ usual sp.

BS 

Start of the returning waders.

 

 FLY FLATTS                        The 2 Barnacles seem to have paired up now.

                                                   1 Ringed Plover

                                            1st returning Redshank

                                                 as well as a single Dunlin

Dry and clear at Fly Flatts this morning with mist hanging low in the valleys, mainly to the east.

A  light SW>2 with 50% cloud and some sunshine.

                               A touch of wader movement this morning, after a few days wader-less, with 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Dunlin, 1 Ringed Plover and a single Redshank whilst 2 Cormorant headed >SE.

                           15 BH and 6 LBB gulls were on the shore along with a minimum count of 18 Wheatear, mostly juvs or adults in moult. A  Raven and Buzzard were overhead but no sign of Swifts for over a week now. A bit of a heart stopper with a white head and neck sticking out of the long grass at the north end, just after MP had text me with 3 Little Egret >SW over Doe Park at 0645 hrs, but the nearest I got was the white Greylag goose.

BS

Oh well, tomorrows another day.

 A bad day all round today with the morning Fly Flatts trip abandoned due to heavy drizzle and thick fog so took advantage of the time off to bath and cut one of the dogs.

                       A mid afternoon visit to Ogden was busy with the public, despite the dull and damp conditions, whilst gull numbers were down and nothing out of the ordinary.

                       Around 40 LBB and c 80 Black Headed with only 5 Herring and no Common gulls present.

The 4 Oystercatchers were still on the east bank and several Crows feeding on a dead Canada goose whilst there was a good count of 11 Cormorant , on and around the water, plus the long staying Common Sandpiper.

                On then to check the Thornton fields with just c 60 Black Headed in one field and all the other fields void of gulls. A flock of around 80 Lapwing flew overhead >W towards Thornton Moor.

               Some signs of movement today with KM getting 6 Black Tailed Godwit at Redcar Tarn plus the Caspian gull which has been around a few days now.

BS

                

Another soaking a.m. / gull search p.m.

 

       FLY FLATTS           2 Barnacles still present.

                                          2 Common Sandpipers by the 1000 yr old tree stumps

 

                                    ad male Wheatear in moult.

OGDEN                            Several 1st Cycle Herring gulls

                                                            ad  Herring

                                                    No YL Herring today.

                                        Common Sandpiper still present

                                        Usual 4 Oystercatchers

PERSEVERANCE ROAD.            Common Gull

                                        2nd cycle LBB gull

                                                         Common gull, full summer plumage.

A very wet, windy and foggy morning at Fly Flatts with fog banks turning to mist and not clearing until 0930 hrs on a moderate W>4 at 11 degrees with heavy rain then drizzle.

                                         Far too wet and windy to walk the west bank but able to scope it in a fashion after the mist had lifted. Not a wader present other than 2 Common Sandpipers and a few Lapwing.

                                     A few LBB gull and Black Headeds were on the north shore whilst several Wheatears were at the south end. A Ruff was found at Manchester yesterday,(SJ) which gave some hope.

         Mid afternoon at Ogden produced a good show of gulls no nothing out of the ordinary. I partly expected to find yesterdays Med gull among the Black Headed but not to be, although it did turn up at Thornton again later in the day, (MP).

      The usual 4 Oystercatchers were on the west shore whilst the long staying Common Sandpiper seems reluctant to leave.

       On the way home, a new ploughed field on Perseverance Road had attracted around 50 gulls but all BH and LBB of various ages as well as a single full summer plumaged Common gull, a field well worth watching.

BS