Arriving at the reserve I found cars parked from the entrance right down to the visitor centre. It appeared that Morris dancers were celebrating the wassail at Brandon Marsh. Fortunately there were still spaces in the car park. The tearoom was rammed full so I went straight out onto the reserve - possibly a first.
An amazing number of jays were visible around the site, as were people from Mansfield. The RSPB Mansfield Local Group had brought a bus load. Great to see so many enthusiastic friendly people around. 
Stopped to talk with a couple of the guys only to find they had spotted a water rail skulking alongside the path and we stalked it down the path until it disappeared from view. No photo as the little blighter just wouldn't show in the clear.
No such problem later when a water rail decided to pose and then swim to cover. A decent record shot. Almost immediately followed by a kingfisher catching fish out of the other window. 
Lots of excitement for a few minutes.
Sightings for the day (37) included: buzzard, blue tit, feral pigeon, moorhen, carrion crow, black headed gull, kestrel, bullfinch, jay, coot, mute swan, gadwall, shoveler, mallard, tufted duck, cormorant, lapwing, wigeon, shelduck, lesser black backed gull, blackbird, chaffinch, water rail, canada goose, magpie, teal, wood pigeon, stock dove, kingfisher, greylag goose, pochard, goldeneye, robin, great tit, nuthatch, coal tit and dunnock.
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