Rain, rain and more rain

Lade - 0900hrs - dry, mild start followed by torrential rain mid-morning, then a bright interlude before an afternoon of steady rain. There`s nothing like a report in the media of impending drought orders in the South-east to bring on a deluge...
Had a Short-eared Owl hunting over the Desert, before the rain started, that may have been the same one reported by DB at the Point. Stacks of wildfowl, gulls and Lapwings on south pit and a Buzzard perched on the wall `mirror`.
ARC - 1500hrs - Despite the gloom and rain had good views of a Bittern from Screen hide. The Great White Egret put in an appearance and 3 Smews were feeding on the edge of the reedbed. By the time we got back to the car park (1545hrs) it was virtually dark, winter has truly arrived.