Mid morning walk started in perfect conditions; still, dry and warm. Along the railway path I watched a water rail swimming in a ditch and although I searched a party of tits to find something different I had no luck. I did see one superb male bullfinch and a fieldfare (the first one this winter for me on the marsh) with c20 blackbirds. One Cettis called.
At Turf the rain started. A flock of 13 reed buntings was feeding on the cord grass under the seawall. Just before the visability deteriorated 2 swallows flew over.
On the walk back it was hard to view anything. The lagoon held c60 coots and a few wigeon and mallards. On the fields a wader roost was building - c80 lapwings, c200 black-tailed godwits and a few curlew. Two flocks of snipe flew in (2 and 11). In the lane a flock of long-tailed tits were accompanied by goldcrests and possibly a chiffchaff. I was soaked by then and had lost the will to linger. It stopped raining as soon as I got home.
