Thurs 29th

A sunny day and the warmest part spent in the Rough with a couple of nets!
3 Gt.Spots flew over singly in the same direction late morning. A Sky Lark sang as it passed. A calling Chiff set off a (male) Blackcap that "tick"ed away for quite some time behind the long hedge. It (or another) was back an hour later. On "lilypads", a second Moorhen has learnt the 'dodge' of sticking to the Little Grebes, as they dive for their dinner, and finishing the 'scraps'. The widowed swan took off from the main lake with two offspring, heading for safer pastures to the east. The orphaned one swam strongly around the Fingers, trying to evade (successfully) the new, dominant male that wants everybody off!
In late morning, a pair of Wigeon seemed settled. A female Shoveler swam leisurely along a reedy finger but got the fright of its life when a Moorhen called as it passed within inches! There were probably about about half a dozen Shoveler feeding on lilypads all day. A Pied Wagtail flew into the air and "chiswick"ed. About 15:10, there was a lot of noise (sort of wiffelling) from the water; on investigation it turned out to be 13 Teal coming in for the night in dribs and drabs and greeting each other.
Back in the Rough, 4 Lesser Redpolls passed over, then 5 (at least) Siskins came to feed in the alder. [When I was leaving, 6 flew over the centre, calling]. A Goldcrest called for a short while. Finch wise, not a lot else; about 10 Goldfinches, in pairs or singly, spent most of the day here, feeding leisurely and unconcerned at my presence. Probably 16 Chaffinches but only 3 or 4 Greenfinches. As the light began to fade, A smart, male Reed Bunting in wp called and fed on bramble and nettle seeds a few feet from me.
The days tally - 8 Blackbirds, 4 of which were continentals and 2 might have been. Biggest bird = a young male with a wing of 140 and rufous edges to its under tail coverts, weight 118 gms.
PS. The Little Egret left when the BTCV group started their task by the main hide.