Things actually started to pick up in the last hour this afternoon with five Swallow and three Sand Martins moving quickly though followed by the most welcome sight of five Yellow Wagtails glowing like vibrant buttercups as they fed around the feet of the cattle along the old Haul Road. A great feeling despite the cold and gloomy weather. The fact that I was watching them through my scope from the visitor centre on te otherside of Aveley Pool in no way detracted fromn the fact that they are back! The Garganey have continued to show well and a single male Ruff was on the MDZ Scrape.
It was a very high tide again today and a quick look along thefoershore revealed several aquatic Brown Rats and a Harvest Mouse that had already made it to safety.
Starlings scavanging on the foreshore ... images by me
Howard Vaughan, Information Officer