The visibility was much improved. Yesterday the fog was thick and lasted most of the day. Today almost the first bird seen was an adult female marsh harrier over Powderham marshes chasing what I suspect was a flock of skylarks. About half an hour later the bird flew onto the marshes, over the lagoon, and north towards Topsham at about 10.00. Almost at the same time a bittern flew low over the fields north of the main track.
Scattered across the marsh several thousand wigeon, a few hundred black-tailed godwits fed on the fields. 20 tufted ducks had returned to the lagoon and 7 pintail flew in from the estuary - the first I have seen for over a month. One kingfisher, 6 long-tailed tits and a wren suggested some small birds had survived.
