A misty morning at Fly Flatts with the low cloud base hiding the tops of the turbines but hazy visibility across the western moor with a cold NE>4 at 3 degrees.
Perfect conditions for Little gull with MC watching his local Oxford patch whilst DJS was watching Mixenden and me at Fly Flatts. The nearest reported were 9 over Hollingworth Lake whilst Mick got 3 on water near to his patch and then reported an unusually high amount of Bar Tailed Godwit moving where he ended up with 8 on his patch whilst another Oxon birder got a count of 40 whilst sky-watching so worth checking those reservoirs in the morning. Fly Flatts produced a good move of Herring and Lesser Black Backed gulls throughout the morning all >NE.
The first arriving Common Sandpiper dropped in from the east, bang on schedule making me wonder how these birds do it. The last 4 year first arriving Common Sand were on the 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th showing that birds arrive near enough to the same date each year. Dunlin due next running 2 days late so far but lack of shore may move them straight on.
Plenty Swallows over during the morning and still moving over Foxhill in the afternoon.
2 Snipe
4 Ringed Plover
4 Oyks
3 Redshank
1 Common Sandpiper
1 pr Stonechat
2 Buzzard
sev Herring gull and LBB gull >NE
sev Swallows >N
+ usual sp.
BS