Perfect conditions this morning at Fly Flatts with full cloud on a cold ESE>2 at 14 degrees and damp in the air.
With boats due on the water this morning I headed on the west bank to check the expanse of mud on the north and north east shore. All looked quiet other than 31 LBB and 6 Black Headed gulls plus the usual few remaining geese along with 5 Wheatear.
The gulls suddenly flushed when 4 large waders flew over before doing a distant circuit and landing on the north shore,4 Greenshank, making 9 that I've had up there so far this year.
Very hard to get any sort of decent photos at the distance and in the heat shimmer so just a few record shots. They kept moving between the north and the east shoreline busy feeding before getting their heads down in one of the deep channels so they were nearly out of sight as I left.
Whilst scoping the Greenshank I also picked up 5 Ringed Plover and 2 Dunlin in the same area, so quite a morning for waders. A count of 63 Swallows were lined up on the wires before moving off >S.
I was told later that the Greenshanks had gone but still the Dunlins and Ringed Plovers present. The water is now too shallow for boats to go near the north end so the birds were probably flushed by a birder! seen with a camera walking about on the mud, which would have immediately flushed the nervy birds. The only safe way to see waders at this site at the moment is from a distance using a scope so as not to disturb them, spoiling it for others.
Similar forecast for tomorrow with a light easterly and cloudy sunshine, kicking off at 12 degrees.
BS