Good conditions at Fly Flatts this morning with full cloud cover on a cool 9 degrees W>3 with hazy skies.
Wall to wall birds today with a big move on but nothing in the way of waders. The south shore and the west bank feeding area was crawling with Wheatear with a count of 29, mostly adults with just a few juvs. By the time I had walked the west bank and back all but 5 had gone, ground hopping their way south over the Flat Moor.
Raptors were on the move with 2 Red Kite together along with Kestrel, Peregrine and Hobby whilst the first move of Woodpigeons was apparent over the moor as well as 2 Curlew >W.
Meadow Pipit numbers are increasing now with uncountable numbers in the area whilst 2 Willow Warblers were in the lagoon tree.
Swallows, Swifts and House Martins were heading >S but gull numbers were low with just LBBs and Black Headed.
A mid afternoon gull check at Ogden was a risk attempting the area on a bright Saturday afternoon but it was reasonably quiet once you had negotiated the car park.
A good count of gulls and several Common gulls returned but despite several Herring gulls, no Yellow Legged. Surprisingly, more waders here than Fly Flatts with 8 Curlew on the shore before eventually leaving >W. These were again juv birds going by the head plumage and short bill length. Also present wader wise was 2 Oystercatchers and the long staying Common Sandpiper. Swifts and Swallows were moving through south.
FLY FLATTS
3 Kestrel.....................>W
1 Hobby.....................>SW
2 Red Kite.................>SW
1 Peregrine................>SW
29 Wheatear present then..>S
2 Curlew...................>W
32 Woodpigeon........>SW
4 House Martin......>S
18 Swallow..............>S
7 Swift.....................>S
2 Willow Warbler...present
sev Meadow Pipit..present
+ usual sp.
OGDEN
8 Curlew ..present then >W
c 30 Swallow................>S
6 Swift.........................>S
2 Oystercatcher...present
1 Common Sandpiper..present
18 Herring gull
c 80 LBB gull
c 100 BH gull
12 Common gull
+ usual sp.
BS