Just as well I had a senior moment and put Monday on my calendar instead of the Tuesday that I had told Debbie – this morning was wet’n’horrible!

13 of us set out yesterday, It was a lovely still mild sunny day, with some cloud building by the end of the morning. Ian kindly brought along a gorgeous moth which had been in his trap earlier. A Merveille du jour – he released it where I could get a photo of it.

Water levels had reduced a little, but the path through the fields wasn’t really going to be possible, so we kept to the railway line. A Song Thrush was singing near the start of the walk, and near the crossroads with Sandy Lane, we heard Long-tailed Tits (many of these seen and heard en route today and the call of a Greenfinch. The “merlin” app said it heard a Siskin, but as I don’t recognise the call I didn’t count it! A soft call in the trees led to a Treecreeper, but it quickly disappeared behind a trunk so not everyone got to see it.

On the water were up to 2000 Black-headed Gulls, among which I found 1 Common and 2 Herring Gulls, though there were probably more of these. Probably 200 Canada Geese, 30 or so Greylag, 7 Egyptian. Also 7 Coots, 30 Wigeon, 20 Teal a couple of Shoveler, and a single Pintail. A bit earlier, and more unusual for the area, was a lone Tufted Duck. A small flock of Lapwing were noted c 20. Nearing Stretham we heard a Cetti’s Warbler sing briefly from the bushes.

It was hard going in the mud along the river, though we did see the only Heron of the day, a couple of Kestrels, heard a Green Woodpecker and probably had some Linnets, but they flitted or very quickly.

Just north of the bridge by New Inn was a Fieldfare laden tree – about 50 of them with a few Redwings. Nice ‘scope views of these before they took off noisily to the west. Along the bridleway we heard two Ravens and a group of Jays. 45 species all together