For the first time since 2013 both the Arun and the Stor have overtopped their banks and turned pretty much the entire RSPB reserve and surrounding land into one giant lake.
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| Looking west from Winpenny hide - hard to believe there was a White-rumped Sandpiper out there last December! |
It was clearly going to be a pretty lively morning from the moment I arrived, with ducks and geese all over the place across the South Brooks. Entering Winpenny hide felt rather more like stepping onto a boat, as the water lapped up against the south and west sides. A flock of 24
Barnacle Geese and flyover
Grey Plover (my only record here this year) added to the distinctly coastal feel as hundreds of
Lapwings and
Black-tailed Godwits wheeled about in the wind and rain, with a couple of
Dunlin among them too.
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| Barnacle Geese |
Other flyover highlights included three
Golden Plover, two
Ravens and a
Ruddy Shelduck. The water level was visibly rising throughout the morning as the tide was coming in, and Nettley's Hide was inaccessible by the time I left. Will certainly be interesting to see what tomorrow brings!
