Another of those 16 degree mornings but saved with a nice, cooling E>3-4 with full clear sky and sunshine.
With the good easterly wind blowing it was well cool enough for the dogs and me to walk the west bank to check the northeast shore. What a good move this turned out to be with the first sighting being a drake Common Scoter way out on the water, replacing yesterdays female. A group of 3 adult Dunlin flew over the water, landing in the NE corner.
With the scope set up near the end of the west bank I started to scan the shoreline and waters edge where 12 LBB gulls were on the mud and shallow water along with 2 juv Herring and an adult Yellow Legged Herring gull.
Several waders were scurrying around on the shore though viewing at high mags was terrible with a ton of heat shimmer distorting everything, which were all at distance.
A single, 1st returning, juv Ringed Plover was present along with the 3 Dunlin and 2 Common Sandpiper, with what I believed to be the 3 chicks in among several juv Pied Wagtails.
A larger pale wader was moving in and out of the ditches which I finally managed to get onto as it walked on the shore, this being a Greenshank but unable to tell, in the distortion, if it was a juv or not, which is more likely at this time of year.
Another 21 LBB gulls flew over >NE whilst 2 Black Headed landed on the water. Unfortunately, on the way back, the Scoter was further away than ever, being near the east bank.
Plenty Swallows over and Meadow Pipit numbers increasing, so all in all, a cracking morning.
Out of 140 photos this morning trying to get the waders etc I salvaged the above 7 which are terrible but better than nowt. When Arthur Morris, top USA bird photographer, was asked what could be done about taking photos in heat shimmer, his reply was, " leave your camera at home".
A cloudy morning for tomorrow with chance of light rain on a light SW strengthening after midday but still starting off at 16 degrees.
BS