Egrets and a Bittern

Lade - warm, dry and sunny, n 2 - Following two days of enforced inertia due to the wind and rain normal service was resumed today. A scattering of Wheatears and Whinchats remained on the Desert with a trickle of Mipits, Yellow Wagtails and hirundines moving overhead, but there was only one or two Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap in the willow swamp bushes.
Dengemarsh - Mrs PT joined us for a circuit of the marsh this morning where every harrier was carefully scrutinised following yesterdays sighting of a juvenile Pallid Harrier;  several Marsh Harriers, two Common Buzzards, Kestrel and Sparrowhawk were noted however. We also had protracted flight views of a Bittern at Hooker`s, a Garganey on the lake amongst hundreds of Teal, Wigeon,  Pintail and feral geese, Bearded Tits, a Whinchat on the fence by hayfield 3, a Cattle Egret and Great White Egret in Boulderwall fields, 20 Knots and four Grey Wagtails overhead, six Wheatears on the battery sheds along Dengemarsh Road and our first Clouded Yellow butterfly of the autumn by the Corral. Throughout the walk a steady trickle of Yellow Wagtails, Mipits, Reed Buntings and hirundines passed overhead, so all in all a productive couple of hours.
Galloways - Further scanning for raptors from the range road delivered very little apart from a few more Wheatears.
ARC - A scan from the causeway road on the way home delivered three Avocets on the island, a Black-necked Grebe on the water another Great White Egret on the margins.