With thick cloud on the tops early morn, and me with a couple of spare hours in the afternoon, I hung fire and went up to Fly Flatts at midday on a low expectancy visit, knowing that after late morning, at this site, everything that is moving has moved and the birds up there are all settled down. Its a bit like autumn vis mig when, come 1030 hrs, the floodgate close and the skies go quiet. One exception is chance of a moving Osprey where most reports come midday on.
After a completely wrong forecast of heavy rain and strong wind, Fly Flatts as surprisingly pleasant with a cold but light SE>3 at 4 degrees. The sky was clear with 80% cloud and some sun.
A good start to the visit when a Buzzard flew over the garden as I was just getting the dogs ready to go. As expected, just the norm up at the reservoir with the pair of Ringed Plover on the west bank along with 4 Redshank and 4 Oystercatchers whilst several Curlew and Lapwing were on the Flat Moor.
A Buzzard was high over Tatty Pie Hill along with 2 Kestrels hunting together and the first, of what will be several, Heron on the moor after the frogs and frog spawn.
Still no sign of Wheatear as yet whereas my first back last year was the 17th and then numbers rapidly increased early April.
Weather for tomorrow looks interesting with a bright morning on a light southerly and then thunderstorms for the afternoon , which sounds unlikely to me in these low temperatures.
BS
PS Phone out of action, gone onto Emergency calls only and locked screen. Can,t send or receive anything till I,ve been down to 02 in the morning. Oh no, forgot, its Easter.