And how it rained, Fly Flatts.

 

                                    Water gushing in from all sides

                                Probably 2 days of shore left.

                                As good as it got

                                    West Bank

                                    The Nab

After a full night of torrential rain the morning found a mix of heavy drizzle and rain throughout with a very low cloud base on a NE>2 at 12 degrees. The water level is up another 2 feet with water gushing in at every inlet. At this rate I would think by Tuesday the shore will have gone. If it remains dry for a good few days after that the shore may re-appear enough to catch the autumn migrants as the valve has to be left open to feed the stream so there is a constant drain.

         The weeks Common Scoter move continued with 2 males on the water but sticking to the far north end of the reservoir. Several Wheatear are still present, not seeming to mind the rain, whilst 1 Common Sandpiper, 3 Oystercatcher and 3 Ringed Plover were on, what is left, of the muddy shore at the north end.

      Plenty Swallows and Meadow Pipits but otherwise a steady and very wet morning.

BS.

        

Another wave of Ringed Plovers, Fly Flatts.

 

                                    Good count of Wheatear, mainly juvs

                                    Arrival of 4 Ringed Plover

                                    Usual Oystercatcher family.

Bonnet fields            Common gulls starting to appear.

A grim mornings watch at Fly Flatts with early drizzle turning to heavy rain with a low cloud base and banks of fog constantly passing through on a S>3 at 12 degrees.

       A walk onto the east peninsular proved a good move when 4 adult Ringed Plover dropped in, flying over the water from the NE and landing on the banking before quickly moving across to the muddy shore at the north end. A single Common Sandpiper was present as well as the 2 adult and 1 juv Oystercatcher.

       A good count of at least 13 Wheatear along the east and south shore, with just 2 adults in moult, the rest being juvs.

      On passing, the Bonnet fields below the Raggalds are starting to hold gulls but not easy to get onto with the grass being long. Around 30 Black Headed were present, all carefully checked for Meds, along with 9 LBBs and 5 Commons.

BS

Fly Flatts/Ogden

 

FLY FLATTS                juv Wheatear

                                    Peninsular still above water

                                SE corner, holding its own.

OGDEN                    LH pale mantle and pale yellow legs

                                    Looked good for YL but no red orbital ring

                                    and gonys on lower mandible only.?

                                Gt Crested Grebe in full summer plumage

                                Ad Herring

                                    Very black and white crow

                                   Poor count of gulls today.

A very wet start to the morning at Fly Flatts with heavy rain followed by drizzle clearing by 0900 hrs with a W>3 and full cloud at 11 degrees.

       An overnight clear out of waders with just the usual 3 Oystercatchers seen and no sign of my pet Ringed Plover pair which have been with me since the 12th of February and reared 2 juvs which left a few weeks ago. She was going for a second brood , as she does every year, but her nest area was disturbed with grass cutting. Last year the pair left on the 27th of July. Bit sad to see them go as I,ve watched them daily since February and the shore seems empty without them.

     Still a few Wheatear present with 3 adults in moult and 2 juvs with a mass arrival of Meadow Pipits.

LBB gulls were moving with a steady flow >NE whilst 1 Buzzard was in the air.

     Ogden p.m.was a wet affair with a couple of heavy showers and again a low count of gulls with 12 LBB, 2 Herring and 37 BHG. One LBB stood out with a paler mantle and paler yellow legs but still looking into this bird.

        A single Gt Crested Grebe was on the water but otherwise very quiet. With the school holidays on now I,ll be making sure I only visit Ogden early morn or wet afternoons for the next 6 weeks.

BS

A nothing special day, Fly Flatts.

                                    juv  Wheatear

                                    One of a pair, Ringed Plover

                                Oystercatcher, adults and juv

A bright and mostly sunny morning on a brisk W>3 at 12 degrees. Certainly not reservoir weather.

             One of those nothing special visits with just the usual Ringed Plovers, Common Sandpipers and Oystercatchers lazing on the shore along with with several Wheatear and Meadow Pipits .

      The sky was fairly lively with 4 Buzzard up together, well out over the moor,as well as 2 Kestrel and a Raven. Plenty Goldfinch on the thistle tops but only the one gull, LBB at the north end.

BS

          

 

Another welcome visitor for Fly Flatts

 

                                Good welcoming party. Short Eared Owl

                                    Male Ringed Plover

                                    Female Ringed Plover

A pleasant morning weather wise at Fly Flatts with full cloud on a light N>2 at a milder 14 degrees.

              First bird to show this morning was a wet and slightly bedraggled Short Eared Owl, possibly in moult, which soon disappeared over the moor.

        Waders are getting a bit sparse now with just 3 Common Sandpiper, 1 Oystercatcher and 4 Ringed Plover. With the water rising at a frightening pace its looking bad for autumn migrant waders if the rain continues although there is still enough shore at the moment.

            Still several Wheatear around and Meadow Pipit numbers increasing daily preparing for the big move. A single Buzzard was soaring over Tatty Pie Hill and only a small count of Swifts today.

        Good to see DJS checking out the north end.

BS.

Star Prize for Fly Flatts. Sanderling

 

                                1 of 5 Ringed Plover

                            Not oft you see a Wheatear in a tree

                                    juv Wheatear  one of 14.

                                Star of the morning, Sanderling

                                A long wait this year.

                                    ad male Wheatear in moult

A bright dry morning at Fly Flatts with bright full cloud cover on a light SW>2 at 14 degrees.

              Another active morning with at least 5 Ringed Plovers present but only 3 Common Sandpipers remaining after a poor years breeding for this species with only one juv seen.

       Wheatears were everywhere with a count of at least 14 whilst the area is inundated now with Meadow Pipits. Plenty Swallows, Swifts and House Martins over the water but very few Sand Martins today.

       A lucky decision to check an area I only check about twice a week, weather permitting, other than scoping, turned up a long awaited Sanderling which I,ve usually had in June and thought I was going to miss this year, or till the autumn at least. What a smart little wader these are.

BS

A morning and afternoon soaking, Fly Flatts/Ogden

 

FLY FLATTS            ad Oystercatcher

                                    juv Oystercatcher

                                    1 of 5 Ringed Plovers

OGDEN                    Very few big gulls

                                    12 LBBs

                                NKs YL Herring gull 2nd from left.

                                Seems to manage with deformed bill.

Another day of heavy and torrential showers on a SW>4 at 10 degrees. Some sun briefly but showers piling over continuously.

       Despite the weather, or because of the weather, Fly Flatts was very active with at least 5 Ringed Plover, 4 Common Sandpiper and 3 Oystercatchers busy feeding around the shore line whilst 10 Wheatear and 4 Stonechat were very mobile around the edge of the water along with shoals of Meadow Pipit.

     A full house over the water with Swifts, Swallows, House Martin and Sand Martin, the latter obviously breeding somewhere around the area as its a bird I rarely get at Fly Flatts.

Two Snipe were interesting heading >S very high and fast in migration mode.

      With my gear still wet from the morning I had a quick visit to Ogden mid afternoon and managed to get them topped up with water again.

      A very poor display of gulls with only c30 Black Headed, 2 Herrings and NKs 3CY Yellow Legged Herring gull with the deformed bill. The 3CY LBB still retaining its pink legs was also present.

     Otherwise, just the usual Canadas, Mallards and a single Cormorant though too wet to do any serious scanning.

BS