The heat continues, Fly Flatts.

 

                                    More of the same, Dunlin.

                                Oystercatcher

                                Female Ringed Plover

Another hot sticky morning at Fly Flatts with clear blue skies and full sun on a WSW>2 at 12 degrees

          The stagnant weather put the waders in resting mode, as yesterday, with plenty to keep me occupied but nothing new arriving and the skies remaining empty.

          A rough count up today of  goslings and ducklings made it a record year for Greylags, Canadas and Mallards. The Mallards have done amazing so far with 4 pair raising 32 ducklings which are now a good size and looking much less vulnerable, some being not far from fledging.

 Only the goslings on the water were counted with probably the same number again in the fields and on the moor.

         Swallows were the only birds present skyward other than a single distant Buzzard and a drake Tufted which arrived from the east.

         Looking at the 10 days forecast this weather could continue till well beyond next weekend which is looking bad for spring passage waders at the reservoir as they are more likely to continue through very high.

5 Dunlin

12 Common Sandpiper

3 Oystercatchers

8 Redshank

1 f  Ringed Plover

Sev Curlew and Lapwing with chicks

94 Canada goslings on water

25 Greylag goslings on water

32 Mallard ducklings

1 Buzzard

1 m Tufted

2 LBB gulls

Several Swallows

100s of young Starling

Plenty Linnet and Mipits

+ usual sp.

BS

Fly Flatts, Too hot to handle but worth the effort.

 

                                Redshank on the slipway.

                                    Little and large

                                    Star prize, 3 Shelduck 2m 1f. 

                                    Usual Dunlins

                                    Thirsty Lapwing

                                Shelduck way over on the NW bank.

A real horror of a morning weather-wise with clear sky and hot sunshine at 14 degrees with a very light E>1 turning SE>2. Swarms of man eating flies along the banking. Clouded over by 0945 hrs.

             A bonus for putting up with the heat when 2 male and 1 female Shelduck came in from the west landing in the far NW corner. I was,nt going to walk the west bank in the conditions but the Shelduck soon made me think otherwise. They stayed on the water around one hour before settling down on the muddy bank.

          The usual Dunlin etc were present but very reluctant to move and mainly sleeping on the shore with just short periods of feeding. A single Stonechat and Reed Bunting were by the feeding area.

          The amount of flies got the Swallows feeding with good numbers throughout the watch but not a Swift in sight.

         Conditions looking the same for the morning as this morning.

BS

Dunlin galore, Fly Flatts

 

                                At least 18 Dunlin present today

                                    Minimum 10 Common Sandpiper

                                Believe this to be of the race Arctica

                                Much smaller, paler bird

                                Very fine breast streaking

Not the best of conditions with clear blue skies and sunshine on a moderate NW>4 at 8 degrees.

            Empty skies this morning with, if anything moving, will have gone over very high and unseen.

Having said that, several more waders had arrived overnight with at least 18 Dunlin now present along with 10 Common Sandpipers. 

            One Dunlin stood out as being much smaller and paler, so much so, that I thought I had a Sanderling. I believe it to be of the race Arctica, rather than our common race Schinzii, which pass through late May/ early June, from wintering in Africa to breed in NE Greenland. Other than its smaller size and shorter bill its head was white and barely streaked whilst the black belly patch was very small and weakly streaked. It lacked the rufous/ orange colouring on its upperparts. This is a race I,ve had on previous years at this site.

          Otherwise it was down to Common Sandpipers, Redshanks and the usual species along with Swallows >N and 18 LBB gulls >NE.

Thanks Pete for the report of 2 possible Little Stint at Blackstone Edge, a good find. I put it out on the Halifax Birders grapevine but no response.

BS

BS

A better morning at Fly Flatts

 

                                A better count of Dunlin

                                    Singing Reed Bunting.

A better morning all round at Fly Flatts with full cloud and a light SW>2 at 9 degrees. Fortunately I just got away before the sky cleared and the hot stuff arrived.

        A good count of waders this morning but the usual species with nothing exotic in with them as yet,

with Sanderling and Turnstone being the ongoing target birds.

      A single Snipe was vocal in the top fields whilst a Reed Bunting sang away merrily from the wire fence. Swallows were plentiful and a rare sight this year of 7 Golden Plover moving very actively around the Nolstar fields.

8 Dunlin

12 Redshank

10 Common Sandpiper

1 Snipe

1m Ringed Plover

1 Reed Bunting

2 Pied Wagtail

Sev Swallows

7 Golden Plover....Nolstar.

+ usual sp.

BS

Wind and cloud makes Fly Flatts a better place.

 

                                    Several Curlew guarding chicks

                                Choppy water below the Nab

                                Just enough wind to create white horses.

                                    Several Black Headed gulls through

                                    2 CY

                                    Up to 9 Dunlin present

                                Canadas doing well

Poor weather conditions to start the morning with clear blue skies and sunshine on a very light NW>1 but luckily clouds soon started to come over from the west and the wind increased to NW>3-4 at 12 degrees. 

            The darker clouds and stronger wind got the birds moving revealing an overnight fall of Dunlin with an increase of 6 as well as the usual 3. The Common Sandpipers and Redshanks were very active but the pair of Ringed Plover and their 3 chicks have gone into hiding, as they did last year, just giving quick views of the male in the distance feeding.

            More movement in the sky today with 7 Herring gull and several LBBs all >NE as well as around 30 Black Headed in the same direction. Plenty Swallows and Swifts >N throughout the morning.

BS