A much healthier morning at Fly Flatts with near full cloud on a light ESE>2 at 10 degrees.
Waders from the word go this morning with Dunlin and Common Sandpipers scattered around the shore and slipway whilst Redshank stuck mainly to the peninsular area along with Oystercatcher.
Whilst scoping the east bank, where there is no access unless the water drops lower, I was watching Redshanks through a pile of heat distortion when suddenly a pair of bright yellow legs came into view, Wood Sandpiper. As quick as I got on it another wader dropped beside it flushing it to the north shore. Expecting a Redshank, I put the scope on the bird to find a cracking Ruff. Going by the plumage, leg colour and white around the base of the bill I put it as an adult breeding female.
I aimed the camera towards some Canada geese where I knew the bird was, but without being able to see it, just depending on the camera picking it up, which luckily it did.
This bird was also flushed to the north shore by Redshank and not to be re-located.
I got the message out and well done to DJS for his efforts after finally re-locating the Ruff after his long walk down to the west bank. Unfortunately no sign of the Wood Sandpiper.
Apart from all this excitement, just a couple of Wheatear plus a few Swallow and LBB gull over.
I find it strange that a Wood Sandpiper was showing well at a local reservoir yesterday but the location was, for some strange reason, suppressed, stopping any local birders from going to see this bird if they desired to. A Wood Sandpiper is a non breeder to this area and just a passage migrant giving no reason to keep the reservoir secret. Even though there was a LRP on the shore it was a single bird highly likely on passage which isn't a problem, or it could have been omitted from the blog. The whole point of running a blog it to get the word out as to where and what species are showing up giving others chance to see them, excluding of course any sensitive species or if the the bird is on private land and cannot be viewed without access.
This is only my two'penn'orth of course as it is nothing to do with me what individuals or groups do with their blogs. There is probably much criticism with mine.
Fly Flatts
7 Common Sandpiper
9 Redshank
3 Oystercatcher
5 Dunlin
1 Ruff
1 Wood Sandpiper
2 Wheatear
+ usual sp.
Another day of the same tomorrow with a light NW starting off at 6 degrees.
BS