A wet start to the morning but dry by 0815 hrs with a bitter cold N>4 at 2 degrees and full cloud but good visibility.
A very lively wader morning with 4 Common Sandpiper, 6 Ringed Plover, 8 Oystercatchers and a single Redshank plus the usual Lapwings and Curlews. The first batch of 7 Greylag goslings were on the water whilst a Herring gull stood watching on the east back but no match for the adult geese. This first batch is just 3 days earlier than last year and there are another 4 pairs of Greylags present as well as around 250 Canadas and 8 pair of Mallard.
Very quiet in the sky with just a single LBB gull >NE plus 2 Raven over the moor. A single Wheatear kept its distance whilst the annual pair of Pied Wagtails are looking to breed again this year.
Next target waders now are Dunlin, imminent over the next few days, Little Ringed Plover, very iffy to give an appearance, Sanderling and Turnstone, early May but very hit and miss, then Greenshank, Bar-tailed Godwit and Whimbrel early May but about the same odds for these 3 as winning the lottery.
A couple of dry but very cold days promised now with a light north and north west wind.
BS