Amazing bright start to the morning, not a cloud when I got there (didn't last), took path past visitor centre, into wood and along railway line, 6* willow warbler, 2* Great Tit, 1* Blue Tit, 7* Long Tailed Tit, 8* Chaffinch and a whitethroat, as I turned the corner at the end of the 'L' just before the railway line a Grey Squirrel appeared, as I stood motionless it approached me all the way down the path until at about 6ft away it went into the bushes and circled around me coming out 6ft behind me.
Lots of Common Darter, Speckled Wood and a Hawker and a Peacock on the same path along with a lot of spider & webs and lots of ladybirds. In the mown meadow just before the lake were 3 rabbits feeding.
The lake was awash with Canada Geese, well over 100, the noise was er... loud... 20 odd tufted duck, 20+ Mallard with 4* ducklings and a few Shovelers visible across the far side. Cormorant island had a Cormorant on it
Heard the Sparrowhawk a few times and finally saw it make a sweep of the lake as I got to the old hide end.
The scrapes were disappointingly empty and as the clouds had now blotted out the sun and the temperature had dropped by 10 degrees I headed back with little to see. I did spot something across the meadow, so spent some time creeping up on it to avoid scaring it only to find it was a 8 inch Mushroom and unlike everything else it didnt fly off just as I got it in focus
As I was driving back along the A1185 towards Billingham another Sparrowhawk flew parallel with me for about 100yds before heading north across the fields