Too hot to handle. Fly Flatts

 

                                    At least 3 Dunlin present

Terrible reservoir watching conditions this morning at 16 degrees by 0730 hrs on a very light SW>2 and clear skies with full sun.

    Very hard work scoping the distant shores with a ton of heat shimmer causing major distortion whilst the birds were mostly knuckled down sleeping in the heat.

   At least 3 Dunlin were found along with 2 Common Sandpiper, 2 Oystercatcher and 8 Redshank along with Curlew and Lapwing. Very little moving, understandably, in the heat with 3 Black Headed gull >SW and a Kestrel over the quarry. I used to count up to 8 Kestrel together working the west bank but now I;m lucky to find one.

    Plenty Canada and Greylag goslings now though the two Canada nests in the compound have falling victim to a predator with all the eggs wrecked, probably by the local weasel that keeps appearing around the clubhouse.

     Otherwise steady but I should'nt grumble with the lack of local wader reports coming in.

Another dreaded weather day tomorrow with full sun starting off at 16 degrees on a very light WSW and not much change until Sunday ready for Bank Holiday. 

   The neighbours think I'm mad moaning about this weather but apart from it not being birding weather, I don't like it hot, the dogs don,t like it, and Lynda can't go out in it due to the radiation she went through, which is probably the reason we have never been abroad in our lives, another reason why the neighbours think I'm mad.

BS

    

      

Wader Day, Fly Flatts.

 

                                Speckled Greylag goslings

                                    Dunlin at last

                                    Then there were 4

                        Peninsular, Common Sand, 2 Redshank, Dunlin

                                    Common Sandpiper

                                Fast and low, RAF jet.

A too warm morning at Fly Flatts at 14 degrees with full sun on a light SW>2.

    A walk on the south bank soon picked up the distinctive buzzing call of Dunlin and I soon picked it up on the waters edge. It flew further down the shoreline then amazingly reappeared with another 3 Dunlin which all headed across to the peninsular.

   A scope round produced 4 Common Sandpiper, 3 Redshank and 2 Oystercatchers but all at distance, along with the Curlews and Lapwings which made a decent count of waders. 

      Still only a single female Wheatear present with a good flow of Swallows >SW but no House Martin or Swift as yet. A pair of Red Legged Partridge were by the track and a few Meadow Pipits but a very low count of the latter this year so far.

     With Wood Sandpipers on the move I'm hoping for a reoccurrence of last year when one was present at this site on the 10th and 11th of May.

     Not my sort of forecast for tomorrow with clear skies and full sun with a very light breeze from the SW, starting off at 15 degrees.

BS 

Fly Flatts/ A magical Ned Hill Track.

 

FLY FLATTS                              The white Greylag has produced Goslings

                                    3 Oystercatchers present

                                    Single Snipe >E

                                Few Herring, LBB and a single Common gull

                                        Just a single Wheatear.

NED HILL TRACK                Few Meadow Pipits

                                    5 Willow Warblers

                                    Kestrel and 1 of 3 Buzzard

                                        Enter Red Kite

                                    Raven and Crow mobbing Kite

                                                            Several primaries missing

A milder morning at Fly Flatts with 90% cloud on a light SW>3 at 8 degrees with good visibility.

    A steady morning with mostly the same species but a low count with 2 Redshank, 1 Common Sandpiper and a single Wheatear. Common Sand and Wheatear are usually well up in double figures by this time of year at this site. A Snipe over >E was a rarity as well as a Common gull on the water, at this time of year, along with 6 LBB and 2 Herring gull.

    The white speckled Greylag has produce goslings so there will be more white geese around if they survive. Still awaiting a Tern species.

    What was meant to be a steady dog walk on Ned Hill track midday turned out to be the best birding session for some time with over 200 photos taken and a good remedy for feeling rough with my steaming cold, which I suddenly forgot all about.

   It started with 3 Buzzard over being mobbed by a Kestrel, Raven and a few corvids, As the Buzzards steadily moved off >E a Red Kite appeared over the Causeway Foot col immediately being mobbed by a Crow and a Raven. The squabbling went on for about 15 minutes before the Kite, which was heavily in moult, drifted off  >SW towards Mixenden reservoir.

    After all that, I'd just time for a quick check on the bushes which held 5 Willow Warblers and the usual species.

A bright sunny day tomorrow on a light SE but the temperature starting off at 14 degrees which is getting a bit much for my liking.

BS