Fly Flatts

This morning. I got a reasonably early start in the hope of BS's Turnstone still being there especially with unprecedented shoreline showing. Not to be. It must have moved on overnight.

Tactics were...check the shoreline from a distant first to try avoid any waders seeing me first and spooking them. It paid off. ! At the south end in-among the stones I located a few Lapwing and some larger brownish waders in with them. All preening and bathing in the shallow pools. As I got closer they looked to have the head pattern of Whimbrel. Scope to the fore to check the head pattern. Sure enough Whimbrel confirmed 6 of them all showing the same characteristics. After a few minutes I heard their call several times and suspected they they were about to move. Sure enough they lifted altogether giving several more calls and off they went high >SE at 08:55

Also down by the former Twite feeding station a Cuckoo (probably a juvenile) was on the fence hopping down for insects on the ground. Then it was off down towards Dean Head/Castle Carr
Also a family group of 4 Kestrels hunting the West Bank
1 Short-eared Owl distant
1 Common Buzzard
2 Ravens high >E
1 Dunlin
c20 Lapwing
1 ad Common Gull
c25 L B B Gulls to and fro-ing
c40 B H Gulls
Still no sign of any returning Wheatears, no hirundines or Swifts and just a few Meadow Pipits about.