A rather different situation this month, no need for Waders and bog snorkelling equipment, the floods have receded as have the Egret & Gull numbers. Cattle Egret numbers much reduced but I did count another 62 on Godney Moor and 28 on Tadham Moor so a total of 151 in the General area. Widgeon, Teal, Tuftie and Shoveler numbers building up but just one Pintail on 20 acre and no Goosanders or Goldeneye as yet. First ever record of Scaup at Westhay on a WeBS Count day. There were two, a female and juv female on the last lake at the north end of London Drove. I’m usually a little reticent about calling female Scaup at Westhay because there are a couple of look-alike female Tufties usually in residence but I’m fairly confident these were the real deal. Didn’t have my scope but got excellent views in good light, they stuck together and weren’t associating with Tufties.
Scores were :
Canada Goose – 201
Greylag Goose – 48
Mute Swan – 125
Shoveler – 153
Gadwall – 132
Widgeon – 116
Teal – 43
Mallard – 56
Tufted Duck – 30
Pintail - 1
Scaup - 2
Pochard – 1
Water Rail – 11 (all heard not seen)
Moorhen – 7
Coot – 185
GC Grebe – 6
Little Grebe - 7
Cormorant – 30
Snipe – 9
Glossy Ibis - 1
Cattle Egret – 61
Great White Egret – 8
Little Egret – 2
Grey Heron – 7
Kingfisher – 1
Herring Gull – 2
I didn’t find the Glossy Ibis in the morning but at 1345 I saw it, or one just like it, airborne over the farmland to the south of the reserve, gaining height and generally heading in the direction of Westhay village – hope it was just exercising and not on it’s way elsewhere.
Lots of Chaffinches and Winter Thrushes about, mainly Redwing.
In the perfect and very still conditions today it was easy to spot the overwintering Chiffchaffs flitting about, I must have spotted over 20 as well as a few Goldcrests, the count took me about an hour longer than normal as I was continuously having to stop to check they weren’t something else – one possible Tristis candidate in Willows adjacent to the Viridor Hide. 
Three different Marsh Harriers seen, two females and a nicely marked male.

Blimey - they must have been fresh in, I did see a couple of birds tucked up/asleep under the overhanging growth on the far Island I thought might have been male Pintail but couldn’t be certain, wrote them off as Shoveler - can’t imagine 70 odd could have been hiding behind the Islands. In recent years Pintail don’t usually rock up on 20 acre until November and even then it’s rare to get more than a dozen or so until the new year.

Terrific, Jon.  Did you forget Pintail?  There were lots along London Drove, all v hard to count in a brief visit this evening, but I think there could have been 70.  I couldn’t see any Goosander though.

Some exceptionally high counts this month and one or two other interesting sightings :
Canada Goose – 313
Greylag Goose – 37
Egyptian Goose – 4
Mute Swan – 118
Shoveler – 80 (virtually all the males in eclipse)
Gadwall – 140
Widgeon – 20
Teal – 5
Mallard – 65
Tufted Duck – 6
Pochard – 1
Water Rail – 7 (all heard not seen)
Moorhen – 7
Coot – 102
GC Grebe – 3
Green Sandpiper – 3
Cormorant – 14
Cattle Egret – 441
Great White Egret – 26
Little Egret – 43 (plus another 11 on Godney Moor)
Grey Heron – 8
Kingfisher – 1
BH Gull – 480
LBB Gull – 2
Herring Gull – 10
In the morning the majority of Cattle Egrets were on flooded fields adjacent to Blakeway and Allerton Moor Drove although by the afternoon probably 250 + of the same birds had relocated to fields adjacent to, or within sight of Westhay Moor Drove to the west of the reserve between London Drove and Blakeway. I didn’t check them thoroughly but noted at least a dozen juveniles. The Cattle Egret Count is less than were actually present in that there were a lot more birds out on the north side of Tadham Moor below Heath House and not within the count area
Highlight for me was the Green Sandpipers. These flew across the private pond 400 metres to the East of the Reserve Car park with a Digger parked beside it. They pitched up on the south end of the “shoreline” of the West Side bank where there were also two Egyptian Geese loafing. Another two Egyptian Geese were on 20 Acre Lake.
Didn’t see or hear any Beardies but spoke to a couple of people in the car park who had seen a flock of 100+ engaged in spiralling display flights on Daggs Lane Drove just after dawn.
Other sightings of interest were a large mixed Tit and Warbler flock on London Drove. A pair of Stonechats next to the bridge over the North Drain on London Drove and a flock of circa 25 Meadow Pipits which mostly pitched up on Telephone wires on Westhay Moor Drove, presumably on passage elsewhere.