Having overdosed on Dotterels over the last few days, I gave the marsh a go again this morning in perfect conditions - light drizzle, warm and cloudy, with little wind.
Hirundines and Swifts down low, and at least 30 Redpolls, with a handful of Siskins going north over the golf course.
Garden Warbler singing from deep inside a hawthorn - Bazzo had seen it feeding out in the open earlier - and plenty of Whitethroats and two Blackcaps singing away.
Just one Chiffchaff though, and no Willow Warblers singing on there today.
Four Reed Warblers in the SSSI ditch, with Sedgies sitting up and chattering in a few places, but especially Marshside Road junction, as usual, where the presence of a young Kestrel wasn't shutting them up one bit.
A male Garganey on the Junction Pool was nice, while at least 15 Wheatears and three Whinchat (two females and a male) were in the vegetation around the base of the old Sandplant.
Garden escapes like this one are blooming away in the disturbed earth around the Sandplant now - if the work stops for a while, it could be very good for Bee Orchid in a week or three, although I don't think that's going to happen.
Don't suppose anyone is prepared to give us any clues about what's going to happen to the Sandplant site next??
Grey Partridge, Meadow Pipits and Skylark on the outer marsh too, and an unwelcome hatching of bitey bitey midges, that got mighty annoying, mighty fast.
Good to see so many Wheatears still coming through, especially with the Whinchats, most of the today's examples of the former were big bruisers, Greenland types that are generally more approachable than the birds of early Spring.
Having done the Sandplant with Bazzo and Si Glinn, we called into Sandgrounders Hide, which was nice and quiet.
Dunlin in with the Blackwits on Polly's Pool, and Lapwings and Avos everywhere, with the Black Headed Gulls still umming and ahhing about whether to get a proper colony going on Marshside Two or not.
Gorgeous Great Crested Grebe in full summer plumage on the Sandplant lagoon as we left the hide - although they're regular on the estuary on high tides, it has been quite awhile since I saw one on the pool.
Apparently it came in yesterday after the downpour.
Down at Nels Hide there were at least 100 Dunlin, with two Common Sandpiper and five Ringed Plovers, including a tundra race bird (Bazzo and I had one here last week as well).
Two Little Egrets were preening and resting on the water's edge - nice to see them at this time of year, when their profile is usually quite low on the marsh.
Gotta be worth checking the Dunlin regularly now as the movement thro the reserve starts to pick up.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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Later today up at Crossens - another Garden Warbler, 7 Wheatears, 2 Whinchats, 2 White Wagtails and a goddamn mega fall of midges.