During the work a male cetti's serenaded us throughout, afterwards it feasted in the newly created boggy areas. Also seen or heard were water rail, kingfisher, snipe and several passes from the lapwing flock. At one point being pursued by a pergrine. The great white egret flew up from the bittern channel and flew off high to the east. Intriguingly a birder/tog told us that he saw it fly off and was watching another GWE in the SW marsh. However there was a little egret around as well. Later he told someone that he saw 2 GWE a little egret and grey heron all together.|:S| The otter put in several appearances and this made it easier to do the duck count. A sparrowhawk too, put in several appearances but more of the unwanted variety as it was chasing snipe. A sizeable mixed flock of thrushes and starlings fed in the A38 field. Siskin and redpoll too were widespread but in lower numbers than Sunday.
Species count Moors:
Great White Egret, little grebe, grey heron 2, GCG, little grebe 2, Cormorant 30, mute swan pr + 2 juvs. Shoveler 46, Teal 110, mallard 45, Pochard 22, Tufted 27, SMEW redhead mid afternoon, Coot 280, water rail 5, snipe 4, lapwing 400+, Curlew 2, BHG 80, herring gull, LBBG 5, Peregrine, sprawk, buzzard, stock dove 4, kingfisher, great spotted wp, Fieldfare 60, mistle thrush, song thrush 2 singing, redwing 12, Starling c100, cetti's w 3, redpoll 7, siskin, greenfinch 12, bullfinch, coal tit 2, reed bunting 10.
Sailing Pool: GCG 8, little grebe 2, tufted 5
FLASHES: Arriving during the rain, the place looked decidedly miserable like being on a windswept estuary in the middle of winter. And to be fair the Flashes looked like an estuary, without the birds8-P. Even the birds looked forlorn soaking up the rain and the freshening SE wind. Towards dark many ducks and geese dropped in to either feed or roost as well as a couple of green sand, going out were the snioe and lapwings to feed in surrounding fields.
Species count Flashes:
Teal 35, shoveler 20+, mallard 60+, Greylag 25, canada's 150, coot 4, moorhen 30+, Snipe c5, lapwing 450, curlew 13, redshank, green sand 2, BHG 165 roosted,
goldcrest 2,
the mystery blob ....otter8-P taken by Sam with my camera:t: