0745—1030  Initially warm from the S; a cooler SW breeze later with showers, a day early! On the E flood 70+ Shoveler were the dominant duck sp with a still sizeable low-tide  Black-tailed Godwit flock. A large female Sparrowhawk put the waders to flight and gulls into turmoil including the first-winter Little Gull, which remained on the E flood for the third day—difficult on occasion to find when on the the water, but obvious in flight when amongst the gull melee, and consistently surface picking emergent aquatics. Cetti`s sang from three separate locations; a Mute Swan disputed territorial rights with Greylags, winning the contest; and further west, parties of Shelducks atop the seawall were head bobbing and sizing up burrowed accommodation. 10 Great Crested Grebes were on the Swale. Dave Perrin provided the first Wheatear report, from the west flood anthills; and there was an indication of Sedge Warbler song yesterday from the creekside reedbed, heard by others. Mike R