We were lucky with yesterday's guided walk - after three stormy days there was just a gently breeze and sunshine. We found many of our ducks at the western end of Elney Lake, where most of them were sleeping on the calm water in glorious sunshine. The drakes' breeding colours were stunning, particularly the shovelers, pochards and wigeons. Eventually, we spotted the metallic dark green heads of some drake mallards, which were feeding at the edge. Some of the goldeneyes were courting.
At the end of the afternoon, large numbers of gulls were gathering on Ferry and Drayton Lagoon; wood pigeons came to roost in the wood near the Holywell Lake car park, then the jackdaws and rooks came to roost there at last light. These are all common, widespread birds, but they are spectacular when they're in large flocks, and reward visitors who stay to the end of the day.
Some visitors who left before the roost flights had a different treat, watching up to three short-eared owls hunting the farmland next to our entrance road.
SUNDAY POSTSCRIPT: the short-eared owls were seen again today, while on the lakes, there were sightings of bitterns, drake smews and a Caspian gull