06:50-11:00 – sunny but very cold in the fresh northerly wind. There were at least six Whimbrel on the saltmarsh west of the slipway. Ducks on the east flood included 51 Teal, 33 Shoveler, 14 Gadwall and a pair of Wigeon. Amongst the flock of c500 Black-tailed Godwits was the pale individual and a female Bar-tailed Godwit. In the scrub opposite the cottages, Whitethroats had at last arrived with at least three singing males but no sound of Nightingale yet. There were two Greenshanks in the creek by the Shipwright’s. A few Swallows were passing through during the morning, at least eight, but no sign of the martins. A single Yellow Wagtail was seen in the area behind the sea wall.I met Mike Roser who had seen a Peregrine fly over the east flood but a walk up to the Uplees copse had produced nothing of significance. 

Geoff Burton