Another windy morn, Fly Flatts

 A very dark cloudy morning at Fly Flatts with the wind still strong but slightly better than yesterday at WNW>5 gusting 6 at 10 degrees with just one light shower.

    With nothing on the south shore and islands I bit the bullet and walked the length of the west bank where all the wader activity was, on the north shore where the exposed mud had been softened by the rain.

   As expected, all yesterdays Ringed Plovers, and whatever else was with them, had left overnight leaving me with a good count of 19 Dunlin, 10 Redshank and 5 Common Sandpiper skurrying around like mice on the waters edge but only scope-able and way out of camera range.

    Swallows and Swifts were piling over >S throughout the watch but nothing else in the sky.

Still 3 pair of Curlew and a few Lapwing present, all with chicks whilst Canada goslings are well down with just 9 present out of 100 + adults. A fresh batch of Greylags had arrived on the water but here again, only 2 sets of goslings.

     Otherwise, down to 7 adult Pied Wagtails, 2 Red Legged Partridge and a handful of Meadow Pipits, this being the lowest count of Mipits that I've ever had up here for this time of year.

   Good to bump into DJS on my way home on his way back from Cold Edge so just had 10 minutes putting the world to rights.

   Nothing for the camera again today with everything being very distant.

Looking better for tomorrow weather-wise with sunshine and showers on a very light westerly starting off at 10 degrees.

BS

Plenty waders, too much wind. Fly Flatts.

 Near impossible conditions at Fly Flatts this morning with a howling WSW>6 gusting 7 with white horses on the crests of the waves. Some breaks of sunshine but mostly full cloud with heavy squally rain showers at 7 degrees.

    The SE shore and islands just held 1 Dunlin, 1 Common Sandpiper and 2 Oystercatchers whilst across on the NW shore a flock of 22 small waders were very mobile along the muddy shore. 

   Far too windy to walk the west bank so went along the east bank and scoped from the peninsular which was near impossible with the wind head on and at the distance. I managed a count of 12 Dunlin, 6 Ringed Plover, 4 Common Sandpiper, 8 Redshank and 5 Oystercatcher but more small waders were keeping out of sight around the corner of the spit.

     Plenty Swallows and Swifts >W skimming low over the water whilst 4 Herring and 2 LBB gull headed >NE. The Tufted duck pair were still on the water whilst 2 Kestrels were over the quarry.

    Slightly less windy tomorrow with a moderate WSW and cloud with a chance of showers p.m. and a temp  kicking off at 9 degrees.

   Hopefully another wader day tomorrow though several will move on if the wind starts to drop.

BS

Yeadon Tarn

 

                                3 families of Mute Swans and cygnets.

                                    Only thing in the sky.

A bright and breezy morning with some heavy rain showers on a moderate to strong W>5 at 9 degrees.

    After dropping the daughter off at Yeadon airport I had a quick visit over the road at Yeadon Tarn which was a real disappointment.

    Even at 0845 hrs the lake was over-run with anglers with their shelter tents pitched all along the banking. Several model boats were on the water but very few birds.

    Just the usual duck pond species with Coot, Moorhen, Mallard and Canada geese whilst 3 pair of Mute Swans had several cygnets each. Just 4 Black Headed gulls over the water but none of the ,half expected, Common Tern and no Red Kite overhead, another expected sighting.

   Several Swallows, House Martins and Sand Martins skimming the water but no Swifts. Around 50 Lapwing were in the airport grounds near to the runway.

    Another day of sunshine and showers tomorrow on a WSW moderate to strong wind with a start temp of 8 degrees.

BS

    

Non birding day.

 With dense fog early doors on the tops, along with heavy horizontal rain in a strong westerly, I took advantage of the weather and did some dog bathing and grooming. This is a tedious job taking about 3 hrs per dog every 6 weeks but saves me £80 a time for the two of them so well worth it.

      No doubt the change of wind and rain will have got the waders moving with late May being the peak time for Sanderling at Fly Flatts though this is a bird I missed out on last year with the water being well up. Plenty disturbance up there this weekend in the strong wind with windsurfers, kayakers and sailing both today and tomorrow so it will be Monday before I get back up there, weather permitting. 

   Also, in the morning, I have an airport run to get the daughter to Yeadon airport on her way to Turkey so that's put the kibosh on the birding, unless I get the time to check Yeadon Tarn which is usually good for Common Tern.

    A slight chance of rain tomorrow but the feature being a strong to gale force westerly starting off at 9 degrees.

BS

Swifts on the move, Fly Flatts

 

                                      9 Dunlin showing

                                        Feed time

A bright , clear morning at Fly Flatts with full sun starting to cloud mid watch. A cool WNW>3 at 7 degrees.

    Swifts were the main feature this morning piling over >W for around 30 minutes, either on the move or a feeding party.

   Usual waders present, mainly at the north end but Dunlins using the SE corner with 9 present. Several Common Sandpiper, Redshank and Oystercatcher with Curlew down to around 6 birds now.

    Just 2 LBB gulls on the north shore and once again quiet skies though any movement will be very high up in the clear skies.

   Overnight rain forecast easing in the morning with a moderate SW increasing to gale force later in the day and for the next few days. A starting temp of 8 degrees.

BS

A drizzly grey morning at Fly Flatt.

 

                                    Usual Redshanks

                                    Oystercatcher

                                    Dunlins

                                    Several Swallows

                                    and Swifts

                                    Well grown goslings appeared from the moor

                                    Herrings and LBBs heading >N

A misty start to the morning with light drizzle on a light ENE>3 at a cool 5 degrees but soon clearing and drying up to leave bright cloudy skies.

    The cold and damp seemed to have got things moving this morning with all the usual waders being very active around the exposed shores and using the, now well exposed islands, in the SE corner.

    Around 50 mixed Swallows and Swifts were feeding over the water whilst Herring and LBB gulls were heading >NE with 13 LBBs on the north shore.

   The damp and cold had brought some of the Canadas and goslings out of the fields and off the moor, several of the goslings being well grown now, whilst one of the white Greylag pair and goslings had re-appeared on the water, though numbers still well down this year.

    A bright day tomorrow with a light SW with a starting temp of  7 degrees.

BS

     

    

Here come the Dunlins, Fly Flatts.

 

                                    1 of 5 Common Sandpiper

                                    11 Dunlin present

                                    2 Dunlin, 1 Common Sand

A foggy start to the morning at Fly Flatts but burnt off by 0815 hrs leaving clear blue skies and sunshine on a light NNE>2 at 12 degrees.

    An overnight fall of Dunlin with at least 11 present as well as 5 Common Sandpiper and around 9 Redshank plus 2 Oystercatcher. 

 A group of 8 LBB and 2 Black Headed gulls were on the north shore, but again, very quiet in the sky with just a few Swallows >N.

   Around 150 Canada geese on the water but not a gosling in sight. I've only had 6 so far whereas the water is usually alive with them at this time of year.

   Next target birds now are Turnstone, Sanderling and Little Ringed Plover, as well as any Tern species.

Same forecast for tomorrow with a cloudy start at 7 degrees on a light NE.

BS

Sunshine and waders, Fly Flatts

 

                                    At least 8 Dunlin present

                                    Islands appearing out in the water

                                    1 of 6 Redshank

                                    Single Oystercatcher

A bright sunny morning at Fly Flatts with full blue sky on a light SE>2 at 10 degrees.

     A better wader morning though mostly scope work with several of the birds over on the NW banking. At least 8 Dublin, 6 Redshank, 4 Common Sandpiper and a single Ringed Plover along with Oystercatcher, Curlew, Lapwing and a single Snipe.

   The long staying pair of Tufted were on the water as well as one LBB gull. No hirundines or Swifts this morning and nothing moving skyward.

    A strange year with the geese with around 200 Canadas but only 6 goslings seen so far. The majority of the Canadas are out on the water looking like none breeders. Two pair of  Greylags, each with one white bird, had 7 goslings each but within a few days, adults and goslings have left the area, though its not unusual for Greylags and Mallards to walk their young across the moor to Cold Edge Dams.

   Several well grown Lapwing chicks around the fields at the moment but no proof of breeding Curlew as yet.

Another cloudy sunshine day tomorrow on a light NNE starting off at 9 degrees.

BS