0830—1030   A cool SW breeze, but at least some half decent light in a cloudy sky. A slow walk, predominately round the E flood, although for starters the Little Owl gave good views from one of its favoured spots.On the E flood eight Gadwall were seemingly paired; a pair of Pochards increased to twelve, with several smart males appearing from the cover of reeds. c 30 Tufted Ducks were hunkered down, loafing in the lee, as they seem inevitably to do. Pintail; Shoveler and Teal made up the numbers with 16 Shelduck a tight knit group disputing potential partners. Greylagshave it sorted, so long as the cattle don`t scoff every tussock. That said, the hundreds of Lapwings , roosting  primarily on the grazed areas, attracted a couple of Ruff within their scattered numbers. Best of all, distinctive`pinging` revealed two Bearded Tits in the reed-beds, the male a class apart with blue-grey head and drooping moustache. Black-tailed Godwits were in `low-tide` numbers, and c 25 seals were visible on Horse Sands. Cetti`s sang at the car-park; a Green Woodpecker sought ground sustenance; Skylarks were half-hearted at choral practice; Stock Doves were frenzied; and Grey Herons were on excursions from their near heronry—where clouds of Rooks and Jackdaws are into Spring with a vengeance. Bombus sps are ignorant of the cool conditions, and hedgerows are bursting with blossom. Optimism by mid-month for migrants as Spring beckons! Mike R