Sunday 13 February
A wet and windy day
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
At least 105 Bewick's Swans, 115 Pintail, single Avocet and 1000+ ducks including Pochard, Tufted Duck, Teal and Mallard.
South Lake
Five Cattle Egret called in on on eof the islands briefly, no doubt reluctant to go out for the day in this weather. Avocets increased to 31 with 112 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Oystercatcher, 35 Shoveler, 5 Wigeon, 2 Egyptian Geese, 500 Lapwing and c 30 Teal.
Tack Piece
43 Shelduck, 390 Wigeon, 13 Teal, 6 Pintail, 91 Shoveler, 27 Redshank, 80 Curlew but by 08:30am the Golden Plover, Lapwing and Dunlin arriving to feed or roost.
Bottom New Piece
in the flooded cut rush area, five Ruff, a large gathering of Golden Plover and Lapwing and c700 Dunlin plus 30 Pintail, 60 Wigeon and c40 Teal.
Top New Piece
First thing this morning 42 Black-tailed Godwit, 11 Ruff, 3 Oystercatcher and a few Dunlin and Golden Plover among the Lapwing flocks.
Grounds/Matrix area
A large flock of c70 Goldfinch with a few Lesser Redpolls for company. They are rather mobile, a few Chaffinches also present.
Long Ground Pool
Forty Shoveler, 1 Little Egret, 7 Pintail among the birds present.
Four Shoveler, 8 Tufted Duck and 15 Mallard.