A dismal, cold Novemberish day, with a biting easterly wind early on.
Water depth at Coombe Hill continuing to decrease; much of the grassland looking grey and desolate because the hay was not harvested last year, and the dead grass now forms a mat of dry vegetation through which new shoots are not yet showing. Good variety of waders, but difficult to interpret because an immature Peregrine made them jumpy: 3 Oystercatchers (quite noisy, perhaps preparing to breed), 46 Lapwings (maybe 11 pairs displaying, plus a flock of 24 non-breeders), 4 Little Ringed Plovers (behaving quietly like passing migrants, though the Peregrine made them agitated), 3 Redshanks (trilling actively as though intending to breed), only two or three Curlews with very little bubbling, quite different from the numbers found on recent evenings, 5 Black-tailed Godwits (undoubtedly the same birds as those seen on Sunday evening – three bright males, one dull male and a pale female – presumably off passage in the cold conditions), 30 Snipe, 1 Jack Snipe. Otherwise 3 Shelducks, 60 Teal, 8 Shoveler, 4 Little Egrets, 1 Little Grebe. Some passage of pipits with about 80 Meadow Pipits. Three brave Chiffchaffs. a Treecreeper and a Reed Bunting all singing.
Water levels on Cobney Meadows low, few birds about, but one Canada Goose sitting; no sign of Curlews.
At Ashleworth a Chiffchaff singing from Meerend Thicket, 160 Teal, 6 Wigeon.