First Goosanders

Lade - 0900hrs - cold, cloudy, light airs  - A cold, still morning with a strange light due to a large black, bank of cloud shrouding the peninsula. Whilst watching a pair of Stonechat by south lake a Great White Egret flew out of the main reed bed and headed towards the bird reserve. All the usual wildfowl on the water including 2 Goldeneye on north lake and the reappearance of a duck Red-crested Pochard. Several Marsh Harriers were on the wing over the farmland along with Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and a large flock of Lapwing, Golden Plover and Stock Dove.
We then cut back along the foreshore where a flock of 30 Goldfinch were feeding on weed seeds amongst the sand dunes. Further along the high tide had pushed the waders close to shore, some of which had already pitched up on the shingle to roost. As always the small sandpipers were feeding right up until the last minute with over 300 Sanderling the most numerous. At least 50 Knot and Barwit were amongst the Oystercatchers.

                                Dunlin & Turnstone, Lade Bay

                               Sanderling and Dunlin, Lade Bay

ARC -1430hrs - With the promise of a stunning sunset we headed down to the Screen hide for a look around before lights out where the highlight was a pair of Goosander, my first of the winter. All the usual wildfowl on the lake plus a Great White Egret, 5 Little Egret, 4 Marsh Harrier, Kestrel, Green Woodpecker, Chiffchaff, Cetti`s Warbler and Curlew over.
ps: A 1st winter Glaucous Gull was on Burrowes this morning (SB).