The clocks went back overnight and so getting up at 6.45am was easier than usual - it was even light again! I took her indoors a cuppa and had breakfast. We were on the road and entered the code on the keypad to get in before the general public. There were already a dozen car in the car park as we drew up.
A flock of goldfinches greeted us as we put on our boots and a dunnock sang from the trees. We set off on our usual circuit: around Grebe Pool, through New Hares Covert and Swallow Pool. As we passed though New Hares Covert we came across a couple of jays, followed by a treecreeper and then a goldfinch. We also had a bullfinch over and a single redwing.
Overlooking the golf course a buzzard stood on the fairway, presumably feeding on worms or looking for his ball. We heard cetti's warbler but again couldn't get a view - a repeat of yesterday.
We looked into the Wright Hide and it was empty, so we popped in - the doors have been taken off, there are hand-sanitiser bottles on entry (and exit), and the shutters are all propped open. The scrape looked much as it always does and there was nothing of note. I'd hoped for either )or both) siskin or redpoll in the trees above but found neither. We rounded the corner as a young couple marvelled at a tame robin who appeared to be happy at an approach to within a meter.
Passing the Jon Baldwin Hide we considered not going in as there appeared to be a couple of people already in residence. They beckoned to us saying that a kingfisher had just flown to the bushes opposite; it had been fishing right outside the window. Soon it flew to a pole and gave clear but slightly distant views. It then relocated into a couple of distant bushes and eventually gave us a flypast view.
We walked to the end of the path (Steetly Hide) adding a few more views of jay, and on the way back a kingfisher briefly landed to our left in the flooded channel.
Sightings (33) included: black-headed gull, blackbird, blue tit, bullfinch, buzzard, carrion crow, cetti's warbler, chiffchaff, coot, cormorant, dunnock, gadwall, goldcrest, goldfinch, great tit, greylag goose, jay, kingfisher, lapwing, long-tailed tit, magpie, mallard, moorhen, mute swan, redwing, robin, rook, shoveler, treecreeper, tufted duck, wigeon, woodpigeon and wren.
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