A decent morning at Fly Flatts but still that bitter cold wind with a SSW>5 gusting 6 at 4 degrees but feeling colder. Full cloud and dry with good visibility.
A duplicate of previous days with the same wader species and still no sign of Wheatear, probably due to the exposed, high altitude in the cold wind.
A few LBB and Herring gulls were on and around the water whilst 3 pair of Greylag now have goslings with 18 young between them.
A Kestrel was working the west bank but otherwise quiet skies other than the Curlews and Lapwings, mainly over the 'Flat Moor'.
On the way back, a check of the Nolstar fields produced 11 Golden Plover, which was a pleasing surprise for what is now an uncommon species in this area. Hopefully they will stay and attract some Dotterel this coming month which is the peak time for them, the last found here being 2m and 1f on the 1st and 2nd of May 2017. The only other local I've had was a bird I came across on Soil Hill, 27/4/2008 which luckily stayed a couple of days, much to the pleasure of several local birders.
I used to make the annual pilgrimage to the 12 Apostles above Dick Hudsons, Ilkley Moor, and Pendle Hill where you always had a 90% chance of seeing them but whether they still appear there or not, I dont know.
Looking reasonable for tomorrow morning with a moderate SE wind but dry with good visibility. Then its all downhill into May with several days of light east and south east winds bringing several mornings of fog and rain.
BS