Sat 12th Oct 19

A very damp start to the day today with a lot of drizzle first thing.
The Mute Swan family were sitting on the sea just off the Gunfleet boating club, 4 Turnstone were on the seawall beside the sluice and a flock of c50 Goldfinch flew south overhead as I made my way to the hide.
My first views were of ripples in the brook in front of the hide which turned out to be a Water Rail having a preen, great to finally see it after listening to it for the last couple of weeks. 

From the Hide :- c100 Teal, 6 Wigeon, 1 Shoveler, 6 Cormorant, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Lt. Egret, c100 Lapwing, 7 Snipe, 2 Dunlin,  2 Kingfishers, 1 Cetti's Warbler (Heard only), 3 Stonechat, lots of Reed Buntings, 1 Bearded Tit (Heard Only), 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Grey Wagtail (over), 1 Buzzard, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel. PL/JH/ML/MM/LH. 

Around the site :-

Pete Loud had a Peregrine in/off at the sluice and a Yellow Wagtail on the greensward near the pylon at 08:00. 

I had 2 Goldcrest, 2 Chiffchaff and a couple of Redwing and Song Thrush in the bushes behind the memorials late morning. 

Pete Davis had 3+ Chiffs at the dipping pond and at just before 13:00 located a Spotted Flycatcher in the Dell.