Wheatear!

 Early morning on the reserve a tame Wheatear in the car park greeted me as I arrived. On the islands a couple of Common Sandpipers and 3 Dunlin, the 2 Garganey were still in front of Firth. By Scott hide I noticed 2 Great white Egrets which quickly moved to Christmas Dell. MH later confirmed that there was another at Dengemarsh so presumably the new birds had only just arrived. As I drove out a Hobby dashed over the track.
A visit to the observatory where I learn't that the trapping area was very quiet, so after having breakfast I decided  to visit The Midrips which is open all weekend. On arrival the water levels looked good but barely a bird in sight. I can only assume that the pools are so polluted by 100+ years of the army shooting on it that little can survive. I can't recall seeing a Heron, Little Egret or even a Cormorant on the pools so presumably there are no fish or mollusc's.
Walking to the end of the concrete sea wall i did mange to see 4 Avocets and a Curlew on the beach, a flyover Hobby and Peregrine, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Wheatears, a Willow warbler on the see wall and a Clouded Yellow.
An hours sea watch this afternoons from the fishing boats was a very slow affair:
13.45-14.45:
Fulmar: 1W
Gannet: 4 around
Cormorant: 7 around
Turnstone: 1 around
Yellow-legged Gull: 1 juvenile around
Sandwich Tern: 12 around
Common Tern: 3 around
Sand Martin: 97S
Harbour Porpoise: 4+

 Flame Carpet new for the trap

Chocholate-tip new for the year