Hail to the sun and wind

The Safari likes these longer afternoons. We had an event on the beach that unfortunately had to be postponed so we got over to the nature reserve for an hour or so where a machine was on site making new channels through the reedbed and cutting out bays and inlets from the biggest blocks of reed. All good stuff although it looks a bit of a mess now but wait toil the middle of May and you will hardly be able to tell such a large machine has been in there.

A Bittern is on site somewhere and when the reed fringes regrow there should be some extra fish filled cover for them to sneak about in next winter. For the summer it's gonna be dragonfly heaven - providing the weather isn't as crap as last summer.

We had a mooch round at some of the other areas where the reed mat has been scraped out and saw two Water Rails chasing each other across the new channel with some very loud squeals. A Blackbird and a Moorhen poked round on the tracked in mud looking for whatever took their fancy and over the mown meadow a Kestrel hunted successfully. We're now hoping for a good show of wildflowers and associated bees and butterflies etc this season.

Don't be fooled by that gorgeous blue sky, within minutes it was as black as the obs of hell - whatever they are - and then it hailed and we were very glad we were in one of the  hides, also sheltering in there were PL and McG who had earlier got some pics of the Brambling! A Shelduck appeared on the mere and a flock of about a dozen Lesser Black Backed Gulls dropped in to 'escape' the onslaught of hailstones.

To our right a Cetti's Warbler sang briefly and a couple of Reed Buntings darted vertically out and straight back into the reeds in front of us.

A great way to spend a bonus short afternoon in the field.

Where to next?  Patch 2 could be a bit better than today...please

In the meantime let us know whose digging dirty great holes in your outback.