A short visit between 09.00 and 10.00. In addition to the great tits, chaffinches and song thrushes that have been singing intermittently for some weeks today reed buntings, water rails and chaffinches were very vocal. Even a few lapwing were displaying.
On the lagoon 23 gadwall was my highest count for some time. Also there 3 pochard, a couple of tufted ducks and a single pintail. All the wigeon (c1000) were on the fields with a similar number of lapwings, c300 dunlin, c400 black-tailed godwits and 2 grey plovers. In the ditches over 50 shoveller and almost 100 teal. Also seen were one water rail and a little grebe on the canal. I thought I heard the water pipit near the canal-side car park and may have glimpsed it flying further out onto the marsh.
