A decent morning up on the tops with a brisk W>3 with 80% cloud and odd bursts of sunshine at 11 degrees. Early low cloud blanking the wind turbines soon cleared.
Another active wader morning, again with a good Dunlin count and now 5 Wheatear present whilst Swifts piled through continuous.
A scan with the bins picked up a distant very pale wader making me think Sanderling but a closer view produced a Dunlin. This I believe to be a juvenile as opposed to a adult in moult as, although it is early for a passing juv, adult birds moult on migration starting around August and continuing into the winter.
The bird was noticeably larger and longer billed than our common schinzii making me think possible race alpina or otherwise, just a female, but either way its rare to get a juv Dunlin through Fly Flatts.
The juv Ringed Plover was still present and being protected by the adult male whilst it was sad to see the adult female still beside the dead chick and still protecting it.
FLY FLATTS
15 Dunlin + 1 juv
2 Ringed Plover +1 juv
5 Common Sandpiper + 2 juv
2 Redshank + 3 juv
4 Oystercatchers
5 Wheatear, 1m, 2f, 2 juv
1 Snipe
2 LBB gull
several Swift........>S
4 Curlew..............>S
2 Curlew present
BS