Am I completely mad?

...may be so! Arrived at the park just before 06:30 and the rain was just starting so I headed straight for Kramer hide. I was surprised, given the cold, wind and rain, that the Sedgewick Seat Chiff was on territory singing strongly. I flushed a pair of Teal as I walked through that section of Fingers. At the hide I could still hear the SS Chiff which was quite mobile during my stay. A pair of Gadwall were in front of the hide and a pair of Little Grebe came out of the main reed bed. Look like a different pair, compared to those seen the last few weeks, as the colouration of one was a lot paler than the other and neither birds plumage looked as bright as the other pair. A Green Woodpecker passed through from right to left and a male Shoveler was seen through the gap to west Fingers. A young Heron came in to the usual roost tree. Mallard and Moorhen were also present. A Chiffchaff started singing directly behind the hide and at first I thought it was the SS bird but then later both were heard singing at the same time. I watched from the hide door and located the singing Chiff which was accompanied by another. I left the hide when the snow started blowing through the front!

The water level has dropped further in Fingers but is still draining out through the pipe. As I walked down the Spit a Chiff flew, over my head, back towards the main path, stopping in a tree on the west side. Another was singing strongly over by the Rough. On west Fingers a Little Grebe, pair of Teal and three pairs of Canada Geese while on east Fingers a couple of male Mallards, a Cormorant and a male Tufted Duck were all present. Heading back along the Spit a Water Rail flew, from one of the fishing swims, along in front of me before disappearing into the crescent. A Chiff was heard singing in the trees around the Crescent (maybe the one seen earlier).

Back on the main path, heading back to the car, the wind was really blowing making it feel even colder than it actually was. A single Sand Martin was seen over the main lake, bet he wishes he'd stayed in Africa! c.11 Redwing were feeding on the meadow between the main path and the hedge by the Labyrinth accompanied by a number of Blackbirds.

There aren't many times when I am glad to be back at the car but with frozen fingers this was one of those times.