Dec 28th

Managed to get out today at last. Started at Arc with wet and dark weather, no good for photos, where there were all the usual wildfowl plus 9 goldeneye (4M + 5F), 2 x redhead smew, 2 x great white egrets, 2 marsh harriers and a bittern flew past. Over to main reserve, 1 great white egret on track by gate to denge and Dennis's hide showed 4 x redhead smew down the bottom end. Rich roast time! Visitor centre much more comfortable than the wet weather outside, watched plenty of tufted duck, shoveller and widgeon amongst others and a pintail could just be made out in the misty rain flying over. Then something black and white caught my eye flying low across the top of the water.. a male smew, which landed over the back of burrowes across from the centre where a female later joined it alongside a male goldeneye and a female goosander. A drive up to denge showed the great white still near the gate and another on denge making the days count 4. Plenty more marsh harrier activity with several views of 3 hunting together, 6 little grebes a grey heron and a song thrush in a bush beside the hide. Quick visit back to car park to check the feeders which showed, blue and great tits, chaffinch, greenfinch, reed bunting, robin, tree sparrow and moorhen. Back for a second view at Arc which added a sparrowhawk to the day list plus a female red crested pochard and a kestrel and greater spotted woodpecker from the carpark.
The pictures show the really bad light so they're not very good!
Count for the day 50

Song Thrush

Bittern fly-by