Black-tailed Godwits

 Lade - cool, dry and sunny, NE 5  - A circuit of the local patch with Gary produced very little in the strong wind blasting off the bay; perfect conditions for kite-surfing, not so much for birding! Our search for orchids resulted in a handful of Southern Marsh spikes in and around the ponds, but we could find no sign of any Bee Orchids along the main track. Birdwise it was quiet until a pulse of 100 plus Swifts barrelled in over south lake, while hundreds more were seen passing over Dengemarsh later on in the morning along with 50 House Martins.

                                 Southern Marsh Orchid, Lade

                                  Prostrate Broom in full flower, Dengemarsh

    Black-tailed Godwits, Hayfield 2

A windswept Burrowes pit viewed from the shelter of the Visitor Centre produced very little apart from a pair of Ringed Plovers, a Dunlin and a Common Sandpiper on the islands, the usual nesting gulls but not a single tern. I walked Dengemarsh with Ted and jammed in on a flock of 40 Black-tailed Godwits that flew in and landed on hayfield 2 alongside the breeding Lapwings and Redshanks, Shelducks, Gadwalls and a Shoveler. Also noted during the circuit: two Hobbies, two Cuckoos, a `booming` Bittern, Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, Skylark, Yellow Wagtail and Corn Bunting. The warbler tribe were heard but unseen seen due to the strong wind.