A bright start at Fly Flatts but early fog and mist patches started moving through with a heavy rain shower. Clearer by 0900 hrs but low cloud base on a light W>3 at 2 degrees.
Fly Flatts must be the only place to make Ogden look busy with the devastating lack of birds continuing. To make it worse, the south bank gates had been locked with the YW electronic padlock, bypassing the padlock used by me and the farmer so no access to check the Ringed Plover area, which are due back any day now.
The first 2 Oystercatchers are back but at distance on the east bank whilst a Raven flew over, and that was it other than 5 Canada, 2 Greylag, 7 Mallard and Red Grouse, plus the usual Crows and Jackdaws. Not a single gull in sight and nothing moving skyward. Time to put Fly Flatts on a back burner until I see what happens nearer springtime.
Early p.m. and shopping etc done I took off with the dogs for a quick check of Horton Bank Top to try make up for a depressing morning at Fly Flatts.
A good show of gulls with around 50 Black Headed and 32 Herring, mostly 1 CY birds but nothing special on the water with the usual 2 Mute Swan, Mallards, Moorhen and Coots, the latter very actively displaying and squabbling over partners.
A single Heron was on the far bank but the only small passerines were Robin and Great Tit. At least the visit topped me up leaving me ready for tomorrow mornings session.
A bright but cold 0 degrees morning showing but with a dreaded light ESE wind which could bring in the fog, even though there's none forecast.
BS