15:20-17:00 – cloudy with a light NW wind and cool. I arrived to be informed by Dave Perrin that a Curlew Sandpiper had been on the east flood but had flown out when a Marsh Harrier had flown over the flood. It was not in full breeding  plumage but had a few patches of red on the underparts. An early record  of this scrace in spring migrant. The pair of Wigeon were on the flood and three Knot were on the islands with the godwits. There were about 50 Swallows hawking over the flood and at least two Sand Martins and two House Martins. Two stunning male Yellow Wagtails were also on the flood and a Nightingale was singing in the scrub. There was a single Grey Plover on the foreshore and Dave Perrin reported seven Great Crested Grebes at the mouth of the creek.
Geoff Burton