A hoar frost was coating everything as I left the hotel, even spiders webs. The Sun was occluded by a silver mist which also did the number on my spirits. I headed up the front for miles then decided to try the Dunes (one day I'll do the Julys too). Here I finally got a non gull bird; a close fly by calling Sanderling.
Another long spell of ghost story weather, then at around 1305 hrs the Sun shook it's head, belched and lit the place up. Off I went down to the vast marshland which was still frozen around the edges but did give up some morsels.
A couple of thousand Wigeon and several Teal plus Dullards but yet again no Gooses which is a first for this, my fourth visit.
A Marsh Harrier flew around cheesing off a few Lapwing. I inadvertently cheesed a Snipe off and 5 Reed Bunting aptly appeared in a reed bed. Several Redshank were trying their best in the areas that Jack Frost didn't care for.
A bird I've not had here before was very welcome which called obligingly a number of times while perching on 3 occasions, a Water Pipit.
Finally, on such a high note even if in a physical jelloid state I pushed myself on to the favoured area of beach for Mediterranean Gull and was rewarded by 7 such birds with nearly all having half developed summer hoods.
