Magical Merlin

 finally managed to get out today after a couple of busy weeks at work. arrived at the bay about at about 9.15 with the tide almost out the mud was full of Dunlin, Lapwing & Redshank plus 10 Curlew & 2 Black tailed godwit. try as i might with the sun so low i couldn't make out if there was anything more interesting amongst them.

                                      dodgy picture of a curlew, bad day for photography.
 Walked along to the cemex ditch( flushing several skylark and meadow pipit on the way} and spent about 45minutes there. Didn't see to much  a couple of  song thrush and a redwing  were the highlights also 2 Mute swans and a grey Heron flew over. I then moved on to the scrub flushing out more shylark and meadow pipits on my way to the middle ditch.(still can't find the stonechat that i saw regulary before the new year).

                                      couple more pointless photo's to break up the tedium.
Had my usual stop  at the small pool  for a cigarette,lI was there for about 10 minutes when the star turn arrived. A Merlin, it whizzed past me about 3ft off the ground kept low across the ditch up the embankment and striaght into the linnets scattering them all over the place. I saw it again about 20 minutes later scattering the finches at the other end of the ditch as it flew off towards the railway. Normally i then go back along the river but today i walked down to where the works are going on and across the scrub  near the house my reward was 30+ crows and nothing else until i reached the service road when out in front of me a possible jack snipe flew out i didn't get a good  look but it seemed a bit small and the bill didn't seem long enough for a snipe. l went to where i thought it went down but it never showed again. all in all a good day with 4 year 1sts and a patch first (for me anyway).The only downer was not getting photo's