As expected this morning at Fly Flatts, terrible conditions with full sun in a clear blue sky and dead calm with the temp already up to 16 degrees at 0730 hrs.
A walk to the end of the west bank produced 2 juv Ringed Plovers on the mud as well as 2 Common Sandpiper and 2 juv Lapwing. Very difficult conditions for scoping with heat shimmer on the shoreline plus man eating midges if you stood in one position too long.
Several Black Headed gulls were on the water and 3 Teal were in the NW corner. Photography is very difficult at the moment with heat shimmer, plus, all the shoreline is now at great distance from the track, so much so that sailing has had to be cancelled for the summer with it too difficult to get the boats to the waters edge.
Plenty Wheatear and Meadow Pipits on site sticking mostly to the shore and waters edge but no other small passerines today.
Midway through the watch a wader appeared way over on the north shore, and scoping through the heat shimmer I could see it was a Sandpiper with the bobbin but looked too big for a Common. A new position but still at great distance I could see it was a Green Sandpiper, one of the more difficult birds to find at Fly Flatts with usually only 1 brief sighting a year. Thats another bogey wading bird knocked off the list.
A mid afternoon visit to Ogden was grim with the sun attracting all the nuggets to the water , climbing over the hedges to walk on the shore with several places around the track , and even on the promenade, where fires had been lit.
A lower count of gulls with them being flushed several times and several leaving although I left earlier today before the main of the pre roost Herrings had arrived.
Just 3 Curlew on the shore as well as a single Common Sandpiper whilst 12 Common gulls were now back in the area.
BS