Astounding numbers of wildfowl out on the floods yesterday for Angela and myself, including approx. 400 Teal, 80 Mallards, 55 Wigeon, 35 Pintails, about 300 apiece of Canada & Greylag Geese, with the added bonus of a pair of Tufted Duck and two of the five Bewick’s Swans. Also up to 1200 Black-headed Gulls, with a few Commons & Herrings and a flock of 80 Lapwings. In the field to the east of the heronry were 5 stalking Little Egrets. Fieldfares and Redwings put in appearances several times, but not in great numbers.

Near Stretham Angela spotted a ring-tail Hen Harrier, while I was looking in the other direction at a Kestrel! Quiet along the river apart from yet more Black-headed Gulls. Several Meadow Pipits were calling, and a single Snipe rose up from the side of the bank. Two Mute Swans on the bank of the overflow pit looked a bit “flat” and we wondered if they were ok, but when we approached they both lifted their heads and eyed us with suspicion!

We finished by diverting down the Rye Farm track to “collect” the Chiffchaffs, a Grey Wagtail, some more Long-tailed Tits and a second Goldcrest, to bring the species total for the morning to 46.

Photos of the Bewick’s are very distant and grainy, but “bodies only” one shows their smaller size (than Mutes) compared with the geese, and more horizontally held tails – Mutes tend to have them at more of an angle.