Another cracking weather morning at Fly Flatts with just 40% cloud with good visibility and sunshine on a very light W>1 at 2 degrees.
The first of the month strikes again with a Red Necked Grebe on the 1st of Jan, a skein of 150 Pinks on the 1st of Feb and today a Shelduck on the 1st of March. It was very distant on the north shore and I nearly dismissed it as one of the Canadas but it looked whiter than the rest. I got the scope up and discovered it to be a Shelduck. It was flushed by a runner but just slid into the water before going back onto the north shore where it seemed settled.
The Ringed Plover is settling down now and starting to move around more seeing it on the east and south bank and also on the boat slipway. If it goes as previous years it should be joined by another any day now. Curlews are slowly returning with 4 present this morning along with 6 Oystercatcher and 15 Lapwing.
A world of difference gull wise from Leeshaw with just 1 Black Headed >SE and 1 LBB >SW. Its believed that the peat makes the water so acidic, keeping the gulls away, the water is very brown.
Otherwise, 3 Greylag among the Canadas whilst a single Stonechat, Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail were around the boatyard plus a noisy Raven overhead.
Still looking good for tomorrow with cloudy sunshine on a light WSW turning SW and kicking off at 3 degrees.
BS