The heat is on, Fly Flatts

 

                                Gulls starting to use the Wainstalls football pitch

                                        Single juv returning Wheatear.

                                    Common Sandpiper and Mipit photobombing.

                                    Several Pied Wags, mostly juvs.

                                Unusual visitor, Grey Wagtail

                                    1 pr Stonechat + 3 juvs

Too hot this morning at 16 degrees on a very light W>2-3 with 20% cloud and plenty sun. Thick fog down in the Aire Valley .

     A much quieter morning with a single Common Sandpiper being the only wader found whilst 4 LBB and 2 Black Headed gulls were on the water.

  A couple of unusual visitors for this site were a Grey Wagtail and a Sparrowhawk and a pair of Stonechat with 3 juvs were in the top field.

     Best of the bunch this morning was a returning juv Wheatear briefly in the SE corner.

Not looking forward to tomorrow with a start temp of 18 degrees getting up to 27 after midday with full sun and very light N Westerly.

BS.

Watching and Waiting, Fly Flatts.

 

                                        7 Oystercatchers present

                                    The long staying Ringed Plover

                                    2 Ad Common Sandpipers present.

                                    1 of 3 Common San chicks.

                                    Kestrel having Crow problems.

                                    1 of 2 Red Legged Partridge.

A poor start early morn with mist and drizzle on a mild W>3-4 at 15 degrees. By 0900 hrs the mist had lifted but hanging over as a very low cloud base and damping in the air.

      As always, early July is a matter of waiting to see what appears though a time when anything can turn up and surprise you. This morning had nothing new arrived though I'm lucky still having waders at this site with always something to watch.

    The 2 families of  Oystercatchers were present with 4 adults and 3 juv with one juv missing but seems to hang around on its own for some reason.

    The long staying Ringed Plover is still hanging around the south end with much of its new plumage now showing after going through a moult, though more of a spring moult,( partial ), as opposed to a post breeding season moult, ( complete ) as it has been able to fly throughout.

    The pair of Common Sandpipers are still keeping watch over their 3 chicks, which are very active now, running around the shoreline.

   Plenty Goldfinch and Meadow Pipits around but no warblers today, whilst a Kestrel was hovering below the cloud base.

   The dreaded heat is starting to creep in tomorrow with cloudy sunshine on a light NW kicking off at a too warm 16 degrees.

BS

    

Small passerines starting to move through. Fly Flatts

 

                                    Plenty shore ready and waiting. SE corner

                                    South bank

                                    Near dried up lagoon

                                Chiffchaff and Willow Warblers moving through

                                    3 juv Common Sandpipers present

                                    Adult

 Several Goldfinch                                                                     

                                    

                                    Usual Ringed Plover

                                    Several Pied Wagtails

                                    1 of 2 juv Oystercatchers.

A better start to the morning but still a cool NW>3 at 12 degrees with 60% cloud and some sunshine.

    First signs of small passerine movement with Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs around the single tree and lagoon area whilst a charm of around 30 Goldfinch were on the thistles as well as Meadow Pipit numbers building up.

    A pair of Common Sandpipers were watching over 3 chicks with the long staying Ringed Plover nearby. Very little in the sky with a single Kestrel, 1 LBB gull and a Curlew very high and >W in migration mode.

  A cloud and sunshine morning tomorrow with a slight chance of showers on a light Westerly starting at 15 degrees.

BS

Cold, wet and windy, Fly Flatts.

 

                                    Single Ringed Plover

                                    Just the one Common Sandpiper showing

                                Sheltering from the cold wind

                                    The home bred, 2 juv 1 ad Oystercatchers

                                    More Whitelags than Greylags this year.

A icy cold start to the morning with a bitter NW>4-5 at 9 degrees with full dark cloud and light showers. A slight improvement by 0915 hrs with broken cloud and odd periods of sun. Luckily the overnight fog had cleared.

     Just down to the usuals today with Ringed Plover and Common Sandpiper whilst the  Oystercatchers were back but without the Black Tailed Godwit. Several Swifts in migration mode heading >S along with a few Swallows whilst 2 Kestrels were hovering over the west bank.

     A partial clear out of Canadas this morning with around 100 still present as well as 3 gosling but a record count of Greylags for this site still present, with around 50 adults and several well grown goslings, 15 of which are white. A pair of distant Stonechat were present whilst Curlews are now gone from the area but should get some movers over anytime now.

     Showing full sun for tomorrow on a light NW and a starting temp of 12 degrees.

BS