The Gas man cometh, Grounded.

 A non birding morning today due to gas boiler and fire servicing but not the best of mornings weather wise with a cold moderate SW>5 at 10 degrees and showers.

   The best I could muster this morning whilst dog walking over Foxhill was Common gulls up to 34 in Foxhill park along with 8 Black Headed and a few Mipits overhead <S.

   Birds I'll be expecting and watching for at Ogden this month are the first of the winter visitors with

 Fieldfare, Redwing, Siskin, Redpoll, Crossbill and Brambling, whilst Teal numbers should be on the rise on the water and joined by Shoveler, Wigeon, Pintail and Whooper Swan.

   On the gull scene I'll be living in hopes for Caspian, Mediterranean and more Yellow Legged Herrings.

        A bright, dry day for tomorrow with plenty sunshine on a light westerly starting off at 9 degrees.

BS

Poor start to October, Fly Flatts.

 

                                    Never get better conditions than this.

                                Floating jetty on dry land

                                    Acres of muddy shore

                                    Inlet from the lagoon.

                               Water usually up to the rocks in the foreground.

                                    Mist clouds above.

A morning of near full cloud with just a few breaks of blue. Mist clouds moved through overhead but not affecting horizontal vision. A moderate SW>4 at 10 degrees.

   A low expectancy attempt for a last minute wader at Fly Flatts soon went belly up with superb shore conditions but not a wader of any description, which was expected for this site in autumn. Spring is wader time at Fly Flatts but even that belly flopped this year with the best being Ruff and Whimbrel along with Little Ringed Plover which is a very rare species for this site. Ringed Plover failed to attempt to breed and left early whilst the best I could do for Dunlin was 8 for one day whereas I,ve had 40+ in previous years, the worst year on record for me for all species at Fly Flatts.

   This morning just turned up 80+ LBB gulls on the distant north shore, 4 Canada geese, 2 Goldfinch and a Reed Bunting as well as a trickle of Meadow Pipits overhead.

   Sunshine and showers forecast for tomorrow throughout the day on a moderate to strong SW.

BS