Fly Flatts p.m.

                                           1st year Herring gull.

A poor watch at Fly Flatts late afternoon  with conditions back to warm sunshine and blue sunny skies on a very light N>2-3. Bring back yesterdays gales and drizzle.
                                                      Just the usual Redshanks and Common Sandpipers on the SE shoreline along with 5 Herring gulls on the north shore and 3 overhead >NE.
A peregrine was over the moor along with 3 Kestrels whilst a pair of Greylags on the water had 4 goslings in tow.
                         With water going down rapidly now ,due to YW starting the emptying process earlier than first announced, the Canada and Greylag goslings could have a problem up there even though a team of Ornithologists and Natural England are suppose to be looking into it.
                          Last summer the birds managed as some water was left in although several had difficulty crossing the sticky mud but this summer the water is to be drained completely leaving it as dry as a lime-burners clog.
BS

Fly Flatts , Sunday morn.

                                        Still 6 Wheatear present

                                        25 Herring gull on the north bank

              Redshanks and Common Sandpiper in good numbers

         10 mixed Common Sand and Redshank in SE corner at one point.

A much quieter visit this morning with the wind turned NW and dropped to NW>3 with 80 % cloud cover and some sunshine.
                                    No continuation of yesterdays maritime move though 25 Herring gulls were on the north shore, mainly first year and sub adults but yet to check through the photos for anything special. The south east corner is like a magnet to the waders just now with a mix of 10 Common Sandpipers and Redshank at one point along with Curlew and Lapwing. The east shoreline is now well exposed as well as islands on the south shore as YW continue to drop the water well ahead of the scheduled June/ July start much to the dismay of the sailing club as the water is now very near the limit for them to be able to sail when their season has barely started.
               
1 Snipe
25 Herring gull
6 Redshank
7 Common Sandpiper
6 Wheatear
2 Oystercatchers
plus usual Lapwings, Curlews , geese etc
BS

Ideal moving conditions for Fly Flatts.

                                           Rough waters  around the floating jetty.

                                                 SE corner

                                    A haven for waders.

                                            Across to the peninsular

                                      east side cobbled bank

            Big gulls piling through,  Herring gull

          Some Herrings came through low over the water

                                          as well as over the moor.

                                                2nd year Herring

                                   Lesser Black Backed.

                                         Curlew in to land

1500 hrs at Fly Flatts and superb conditions for activating some movement though not very pleasant to bird in. The Fly Flatts favourite wind was blowing from the west reaching near gale W>7 gusting 8 at 39 m.p.h. with squally showers of mainly drizzle rather than heavy rain.
                                                           The area was buzzing with Common Sandpipers, Redshank and Curlew scurrying around the SE corner whilst big gulls were the star of the show with a total of
73 LBBs, 58 Herrings and 19 Black Headeds all moving >NW into the weather rather than their usual direction of >NE. Several stopped off briefly either on the water, the north bank or the peninsular before heading off again. The gulls came through on 2 levels with some mid height whilst others skimmed the water or the moor coming through very low.
                                                        Other than the gulls , 7 Oystercatchers and 2 Cormorants came through in the worst of the weather also >NW and reasonably high.
A real spectacular afternoon to be up there.
BS

Leeshaw Reservoir

            LBB gulls moving through >W into the weather

                            Greylags don,t mind the rain.

With fog over the tops and heavy rain I headed for Leeshaw which was below the cloud base and a drier start though by 0845 hrs the wind was increasing and it soon started siling down. By 0915 hrs the mist rolled in so it was up sticks and an early finish.
                                                               Plenty activity, even in the conditions but nothing other than the local species, the best of the bunch being 3 Teal which dropped in but under the near bank and out of sight.  Several Oystercatchers and Redshanks present but no small waders of any description.
                                                                  Both Lapwing and Curlew are sitting eggs in the fields whilst a single Snipe was up drumming.
Near gale force winds forecast for this afternoon which will shift the fog and hopefully move some of the rain clouds over. Its a westerly so may drop me something in to Fly Flatts.
BS

Double Header. Fly Flatts a.m./p.m.

                                            1 of 2 Red Legged Partridge

                                male Wheatear  1 of 6

                   Common Sandpiper, around 10 now present

                                         1 of 5 Redshank

                                       3rd year Herring gull

                                        Mobbed by Lapwings

                                                  Noisy Wheatear

                             Kestrels enjoy the moderate S>5

A double entry today due to the computer acting the goat at lunchtime but after an emergency call to super hero Stuart, the son in law, all seems shipshape again.
                                                 A bright sunny morning with excellent visibility on a brisk S>4 but the day deteriorated by late afternoon to grey dark skies with rain showers on a strengthened S>5.
                                                 The shorelines are a hive of activity now with a minimum of 10 Common Sandpiper, 5 Redshank and 2 Oystercatchers and hopefully they,ll soon be joined by Dunlin and Ringed Plover, both of these species usually arriving at Fly Flatts around the second week of May. Little Ringed Plover rarely use this location with only a single sighting over the last 2 years.
                                                   A group of sub adult Herring gulls were across in the NW corner whilst 6 Wheatear, 2 Red Legged Partridge, 3 Kestrels and several Swallows were present along with the usual species.
BS