Fly Flatts, mixed morning.

 Another of those cold mornings at Fly Flatts with moderate W>4 increasing to strong NW>6 with white horses across the water. Around 30 % cloud but clear blue skies to the west with patches of sunshine at 7 degrees.

             No geese today other than a small skein of Greylags high and >SE whilst a single Cormorant headed >NE. Very little on the move but a flock of early moving Woodpigeons >SW and the first few small squadrons of Starlings heading in their usual migration direction of >NW in fast migration mode.

           At 0945 hrs as I was starting to pack, up due to the strengthening wind, I was just scribbling notes in my notebook when a small bird seemed to be blown past me and land with a bump on the floor about 3 feet away, amazingly a Black Redstart, which quickly gathered itself up and flew into a nearby Willow tree. Grabbing the camera I headed towards the tree but no sign of the bird meaning it had gone out of the other side or gone to ground in the wind.

           This bird is just a couple of weeks later than my first last year when I had 6 probable different birds through up to the 9th Oct with 3 present together in the same area on one day.

PS Big twitch going on in MCs area for a Common Nighthawk, see link to Oxon birding

Vis Mig

47 Starling..............>NW

1 Cormorant...........>NE

sev Mipits..............>S

8 Chaffinch............>E

22 Woodpigs..........>SW

16 Greylag.............>SE

5 Golden Plover.....>W

Present

1 Buzzard

4 Tufted duck

1 Raven

3 LBB gull

3 Stonechat

1 Black Redstart

BS

Mega moving day for Plnkies, Fly Flatts(permit only)

 

                                               Canadas using the SW corner

                                  Pinks to the far north of the Nab. >SE

                                     7 Skeins, 648 geese. All out of camera range

                                                 Beyond the 'Bumps'

                                     All well to the north and south of me.

                            Unbelievable that there are no waders with this shore.

                                                          Like Morecambe estuary!

                                   These mega distant skeins were also reported over Ringstone 

Perfect skies at Fly Flatts this morning with 80% cloud and patches of blue on a light W>2 and an icy   

6 degrees.

              The best day so far for Pink Footed Geese with skeins moving on a broad front all >SE and reasonably high. Some of the skeins were barely visible, all being well to the North and South of me so very hard to spot and being well out of earshot. A total of 648 geese went by in 7 skeins all between 0900 and 0945 hrs.

              Greylags were also moving with just a single skein >SE whilst my first moving Jackdaws went through >NE.A single RH Goosander headed >SW from the direction of Soil Hill whilst Snipe, Chaffinch, Goldfinch and Swallows passed by.

             Tufted Duck were down to 8 today with Stonechat and Reed Bunting present but very few gulls.

No Peregrine on the shore today so I can,t blame that on the lack of waders although it did fly through the turbines late on in the watch.

Vis Mig

648 Pinkies............>SE,    7 skeins = 46,23,148,115,49,192,75.

48 Jackdaw............>NE

sev Mipits.............>S

17 Chaffinch..........>SW

1 Goosander...........>SW

2 Snipe...................>W

41 Goldfinch.........>S

4 Swallow..............>S

35 Greylag............>SE

Present

8 Tufted

5 Stonechat

4 Reed Bunting

9 LBB gull

5 BH gull

sev Mipits...........blogging

1 Peregrine 

1 Kestrel

BS

Fly Flatts, More Pinks on the move.

 

                                           13 Tufted duck now present

                                         Skein of Pink Footed Geese, 102.

                                   Taken at 600mm at a distance of 3 mile away

                                         0900 hrs and dark clouds arrived

                                             Several Goldfinch now heading off >S

                                               The terror of the north bank, Peregrine

 A bright start to the morning with some sunshine on a cold light NE> 2 at 7 degrees. By 0900 hrs the dark clouds moved in from the East leaving just a bright strip of sky above the west horizon and bright sky to the south. Sky visibility then diminished when low scud clouds started moving through.

                        Once again just a slow sign of vis mig with skies nothing as they used to be for late September. Years ago when we were vis migging Windy Corner at TMR in the late 80s early 90s we were overwhelmed with moving birds counting tens of thousands of Mipits piling through in waves like black clouds. They used to swarm past us, even flying through our tripods legs, an amazing sight but sadly those days have gone.

                   Just the one skein of Pinks today >SE but well to the south of me by about 3 miles so a quick text to DJS who got them flying over Lee Mount. Thanks for the more accurate count Dave, I got a few less than you but was only counting blurred dots on the photo at the distance.

                    Again no waders but a few more gulls, even though the Peregrine was still on wader watch on the north bank whilst the Tufted duck count is now up to 13. Several of the females have very white faces and strange plumage due to moult.

Vis Mig

102 Pinkies....................>SE

4 Reed Bunting.............>SW

8 Stock Dove................>SW

7 Siskin........................>NE

5 Snipe........................>W

Sev Mipits..................>S and blogging

38 Goldfinch..............>S

2 Alba Wagtail...........>S

Present

28 LBB gull

2 Herring gull......2cy

14 BHG.......mostly juvs

13 Tufted duck

1 Raven

1 Peregrine

1 Kestrel

+ usual sp.

BS

Fly Flatts, raptors and vis mig.

 A bright clear blue sky and sunshine at Fly Flatts this morning on a cold NW>2 at 8 degrees.

            After a full scope round and a walk the length of the west bank to check the NW shore and islands it was clear that there were no waders present and the presence of the Peregrine on the north shore meant that I was unlikely to get any dropping in.

           The water still held yesterdays 10 Tufted duck plus an unusually high count of Canada geese for this time of year whilst 18 LBB had been flushed onto the water by the Peregrine along with 7 Black Headed.

            Back at the compound I settled for the rest of the watch vis migging with just dribs and drabs over and all very hard to see in the bright blue sky. Ideally you want a nice full light grey cloud cover to act as a background. 

Vis Mig

4 Snipe...................>W

1 Skylark...............>SW

14 Siskin...............>NE

sev Mipits.............>S

2 Swallow..............>S

8 Chaffinch...........>W

2 Mistle Thrush.....>W

Present

1 Buzzard

1 Sparrowhawk

2 Kestrel

1 Peregrine

18 LBB gull

7 BH gull

2 Raven

10 Tufted

78 Canada

sev Mipits............blogging

+ usual sp.

BS

Fly Flatts, Waders and Tufteds on the move.

 

                                       10 Tufteds now on the water

Fly Flatts a.m. on a dull dark morning with a moderate SW>4 and full cloud at a temperature down to single figures at 9 degrees.

                        As soon as I arrived 4 waders flew low and very fast over the water, the first sight being 1 larger bird closely followed by 3 small birds, these being a single Knot and 3 Sanderling.

I had them in the bins but dare,nt take my eyes off them to try get them on film for fear of losing them. 

                        They went as if to land on the north shore but suddenly spiraled up very high and away >NW. It seemed strange them not landing but I thought they were moving ahead of the weather front approaching, until I walked the west bank, to check they had not doubled back, and found the usual Peregrine sat on the mud. 

                        Tufted duck are now up to 10 on the water with several males in eclipse and several juvs not yet showing a tuft and being much more lively than the adults.

                       LBB and Herring gull were heading >SW but none on the shore, probably again due to the Peregrine which is becoming a real pain.

                       Nothing else in the air other than a Buzzard whilst 3 Stonechat and a Reed Bunting were in the compound along with several blogging Mipits on the shore.

                      Pink Footed Geese were moving later this morning, probably meaning that they had come from further afield, with 2 skeins reported by DJS over my area >SE but I was on my way home at the time. I caught up with presumably the second skein as I arrived home and they flew over the house but in and out of the low cloud.

BS

                                   

Fly Flatts. A foggy start then a site first.

 

OGDEN p.m.                    As good as it got, Buzzard mobbed with Crows

FLY FLATTS a.m.            Swarms of Goldfinch in the mist

                                      A bad start to the morning.

                                                More Goldfinch

                                                  8 Tufted on the water.

                                       A site first with a Coot in with the Tufted

                                      Dropped in overnight with the Tufted.

On arrival at Fly Flatts early morn there was blue sky and mist over the west moor.

By the time I,d tackled up the fog had rolled in so dense that I could,nt even see the shore. By 0900 hrs the fog had cleared leaving a bright last hour to the watch.

                            Frustratingly, skeins of Pink Footed geese were contact calling overhead with 4 skeins heading >SE or >E but could only be heard and not seen. After a foggy dog walk for 1 hour the fog finally lifted but by now it was 0900 hrs and the aerial display was over and all quiet in the skies.

                           To compensate for this 9 Tufted had dropped in overnight and surprisingly a site first with a single Coot in among them, a most unusual find for Fly Flatts.

                          Just 9 LBBs on the north shore plus a few Black Headed on the water whilst small passerines consisted of a charm of around 200 Goldfinch, very active moving from one bed of thistle tops to another looking very impressive to see them in such great numbers. Otherwise, just a single Reed Bunting and several blogging Mipits.

BS

What a difference a morning visit makes, Fly Flatts (permit only)

 

                                         5 skeins of Pinks over >E and >SE

                                              into the sun

                                                 Single juv Dunlin

                                         Few big gulls on the far shore.

Fly Flatts a.m. in good moving conditions with 80% cloud on a light NW>2 at 11 degrees. Fog to the west over the ridge.

                   At last back to morning visits which made a world of difference to the afternoons as well as dropping on a big move morning. 

                    Pink Footed Geese were appearing over the fog bank from the west and heading both >E and >SE with 5 skeins, all before 0900 hrs when the move stopped. Swarms of Meadow Pipits were coming over on 2 levels >S, some very high with others low or ground hopping with several bloggers.

                      A small skein of Greylags headed >SE whilst a group of Herring gull flew >SW with just a handful of mainly LBBs on the shore along with a juv Dunlin. Swallows were heading >S along with 2 House Martin and a single Jay headed high and >W which is rare for this site.

                        The Goldfinch flock has increased to around 80 whilst a single Stonechat was in the compound along with 3 Wrens. Mipits were still moving >S as I left at 1000 hrs.

443 Pink Footed Goose........>SE and >E,   5 skeins =  117,  73,  32,  96,  125.

19 Greylag...........................>SE

21 Herring gull....................>SW

31 Swallow.......................... >S

2 House Martin.....................>S

Sev Meadow Pipit................>S

1 Jay.....................................>W

Present

3 Wren

1 Stonechat

2 Kestrel

15 LBB gull

4 Herring gull

13 BH gull

3 Tufted  duck

1 Dunlin

+ usual sp.

BS