A hectic morning and a surprise bird. Fly Flatts

 

                Surprise bird, juv Cuckoo.

        Too fast for the cameras auto focus.

                                Last bird I expected this morning.

                                Most Wheatear gone through.

                                    Kestrel on watch.

Ideal conditions this morning at Fly Flatts with a light SW>4 at 13 degrees with 80% cloud cover and odd pockets of sun.

         A real raptor morning with Buzzards, both movers and locals, along with Sparrowhawk and Kestrels. What I nearly dismissed as one of the Kestrels low over the water came as a shock when I got it in the bins to find juvenile Cuckoo. By the time I started knocking photos off it was past and just landed briefly on a distant fence before continuing >S. I had expected missing out on Cuckoo this year with the usual annual birds never appearing.

     Only 3 Wheatear left from yesterdays 15 whilst Swallows and Linnets were on the move. A single cronking Raven was over the quarry.

Present :-

Sparrowhawk

2 Kestrel

2 Buzzard

1 Raven

+ usual sp.

Vis Mig

3 Buzzard..............>S

1 juv Cuckoo.......,>S

9 Swallow............>SW

17 Linnet.............>W

3 Wheatear

2 Willow Warblers

BS

How the sou'wester blew, Fly Flatts.

 

                        Wild water.

                                several smart Wheatear.

A wild morning at Fly Flatts with a strong SW>6 gusting 7 with 90% cloud at 12 degrees with good clear visibility.

                   Reassuring to get the first returning wader with a Common Sandpiper on the boat slipway as I unlocked the gate early morn but unable to re locate it as it flew around the shoreline looking for somewhere to land and despite a very windy walk on the west back I was unable to get another sighting of it.

      A new wave of Wheatear had arrived along the south bank with very few yet in full autumn plumage although all the juveniles now seem to have passed through.

    A few Swallows skimmed low over the water in fast migration mode but, other than Mipits, everything else was keeping its head down in the blustery wind.

A brighter day forecast for tomorrow with a moderate sou'westerly again so hopes of getting one of the Osprey that are heading south. Nearest one is Ripon so far with a bird thats been there a few days so should be heading this way. A second bird there left a few days ago but slipped through the net.

Present :-

Canada Geese

Greylag geese

+ usual sp.

Vis Mig :-

1 Common Sandpiper

15 Wheatear

18 Swallows......>SW

several Meadow Pipits.

The beast from the east strikes again, fog, Fly Flatts.

 A misty start to the morning, once again thanks to the east wind, with a moderate E>4 bringing mist and drizzle with a low cloud base at 11 degrees. By 0915 hrs it was thick fog and game over! The east wind is a birders dream on the east coast but a nightmare for inland birding.

           The only action this morning was getting the sheep back in the field and clearing half a cwt of goose poo from the jetty, other than that it was mega quiet with just 2 Willow Warblers, a single Wheatear and 3 Meadow Pipits.

          A little bit of below the cloud sky movement with Swallows and LBB gulls but by 0915 hrs it was up stumps and away in thick fog.

        Luckily the wind turns tonight leaving a strong Sour'wester in the morning which should clear any remains of fog.

Present

Usual geese and Mallard.

Vis Mig

1 Wheatear

3 Mipits

2 Willow Warbler

5 Swallow..............>W

21 LBB gull..........>NE

BS

Fly Flatts/ another new migrant.

 

                        Site first, juv Chiffchaff

                            Sev Wheatear present

                                    

                        Willow Warbler

                             

As expected, a foggy start due to the light E>3, clearing to mist and a low cloud base at 12 degrees. Heavy drizzle throughout.

        A check of the compound tree found at last 8 Willow Warblers plus a stranger among them. This warbler was very flighty in the middle of the tree giving me hopes of something mega, but after a lot of waiting around it exposed itself briefly to reveal a juvenile Chiffchaff, a first for this site.

         A good count of Wheatear were on the south bank along with scores of Meadow Pipits but nothing on the water other than the usual geese and 3 Mallard.

        Swallows were heading >SW but no Swift for over 3 weeks now.

Several Osprey on the move now but no visibility for sky watching this morning.

Present :-

2 Kestrel

3 Mallard

Greylag geese

Canada geese

+ usual sp.

Vis Mig

8 Willow Warblers

1 juv Chiffchaff

14 Wheatear

sev Meadow Pipits

1 Oystercatcher

24 Swallow...............>SW

BS

Another rare visitor for Fly Flatts.

 

                                Still several Wheatears present

                                Once a year visitor, Whitethroat.

A case of too calm and too warm this morning at Fly Flatts with a very light NW>2 with part cloud and sunshine at 15 degrees.

      I could have done with yesterdays Spotted Flycatcher back this morning with swarms of annoying midges around the waters edge. Up to 4 Willow Warblers were present and a surprise, once a year visit, from a Whitethroat in the same tree as yesterdays Spotted Flycatcher. There are only 2 trees at Fly Flatts but always attract passing migrants.

     A single Oystercatcher was on the west bank whilst 22 Lapwing headed >E. Around 9 Wheatear were along the south bank with a Raven and Kestrel in the air. A single Stonechat appeared after a very poor year for this species so far.

    Fingers crossed for no fog in the morning with a forecast of rain and a dreaded light easterly.

Present :-

2 Mallard

Greylags

Canadas

1 Raven

1 Kestrel

Vis Mig :-

22 Lapwing................>E

2 Alba Wagtail...........>W

1 Whitethroat

4 Willow Warbler

1 m Stonechat

1 Oystercatcher

9 Wheatear

sev Mipits

BS

      

Fly Flatts pulls it together at last. + Visible Migration.

 

               Kestrel with prey

                Two drake Common Scoter

              A patch rarity, Spotted Flycatcher

                    Just passing through, Willow Warblers.

A mainly dry morning at Fly Flatts with just a couple of light showers on a moderate W>4 gusting 5 at 12 degrees with 70% cloud and sunshine.

     A first scan of the water found 2 drake Common Scoter way out in the centre at the north end and only photographical at distance from the west bank. Several Wheatear were darting around as well as the usual juv Pied Wagtails.

     The sky was quiet other than 2 LBB gulls plus a few Swallows and 2 House Martin.

Back at the compound 2 Willow Warblers  were flitting around in the single tree and then a nice surprise to get a juv Spotted Flycatcher in the same area giving good views. Spotted Flycatcher is a very rare visitor to Fly Flatts with usually a single sighting each year when birds are moving through.

       So a good morning at last and a touch of visible migration which was badly needed to top up my enthusiasm for this site.

Present :-

6 Carrion Crow

1 Raven

Greylag geese

Canada geese

Kestrel

Mallard

4 juv Pied Wagtail

Vis Mig :-

1 Spotted Flycatcher

2 Willow Warbler

12 Wheatear

2 LBB..........................>NE

9 Swallow...................>S

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

1 Grey Wagtail...........>W

Sev Mipits.................blogging

BS.

FOGGED OFF.

 Thick fog on the tops this morning along with heavy drizzle, all thanks to the light SE>2 so the morning session abandoned. The heavy rain yesterday and again today will well and truly have finished off the shore at Fly Flatts so it will be just down to hopes of a wader dropping onto the cobbled bank like the Spotted Redshank and Knot did , staying 2 days, a couple of years back.

        Visible migration will be slowly kicking off shortly so I have added the Trektellen link to my blog so we can see what,s on the move and when. Hopefully that will be livelier to replace the lack of wader watching. 

       Gulls are starting moving over Queensbury late afternoon now heading >E meaning the Eccup gull roost is starting up.

BS

A West Yorkshire Birders life is not an easy one. Fly Flatts.

 Another gusty morning at Fly Flatts but slightly less than yesterday with a SW>4 gusting 5 at 14 degrees with full cloud but remaining dry.

         Once again mega quiet with just 5 mobile Wheatear present along with lots of Meadow Pipits, whilst a single Raven was in the air along with a Kestrel and one LBB gull.

     This day last year at Fly Flatts I was looking at Greenshank, Common Sandpiper, 3 Ringed Plover and Dunlin with a Red Kite overhead.

Rain and thunderstorms forecast for tomorrow!

BS.

The lull continues, Fly Flatts

 A very windy morning at Fly Flatts with  SW>5 gusting 6 at 14 degrees with a mix of sunshine and drizzle showers and 80% cloud.

            With next to nothing on site it was a matter of watching and waiting for something to happen which never did. Just 3 Wheatear present along with 2 ad LBB and a single 1 CY LBB with a Kestrel battling in the wind. The usual Canadas and Greylags were on the water with some of both species not quite ready for flying as yet. 

     With no shore and more rain to come its looking like being a poor Aug/Sept for waders at this location.

BS

Complete clearout, Fly Flatts/ and a special for Ogden.

 A very windy start to the morning at Fly Flatts with a moderate W>4 at 13 degrees with part cloud and some sun.

             The good count of yesterdays Wheatears had all moved through along with most of the Meadow Pipits with a few ground hopping through and over the Flat Moor.

Several Swallows were over the water with 2 LBB gulls on the water in the NW corner but otherwise deadly quiet with no small passerines around the compound and empty skies.

          This is a common procedure at Fly Flatts where, usually after a good day, the next day is left with nothing until a new wave of movers come through or something turns up on the water.

          Withins Head held just a single Wheatear along with several Meadow Pipits and its beginning to look as if the Black Redstart has moved on with the Wheatears.

         A call from NK at Ogden was interesting with a sighting of Shoveler and Wigeon so early evening, when the crowds had cleared, I had a quick dash there to see if anything else had arrived.

      The summer plumaged male Shoveler was present but way out and only viewable from the east bank , hence the photos were taken at 180 degrees to sun angle which was low and reflecting on the water giving silhouetted images. No sign of the Wigeon and too late in the day for gulls with just 4 LBBs and about 20 Black Headed. Nice find Nigel, thanks for the call.

BS