Marshside and Banks marsh

 The lesser scaup was still present on Junction pool with the tufties. A female Merlin shot across the salt marsh hunting meadow pipits. At Nels hide a flock of 300 golden plover, 200 black tailed godwits, 10 ruff, 12 avocets and several redshank and curlew. Pintail,wigeon,teal,gadwall and shellduck were displaying and looked fine in their breeding plumage. 

A walk along the embankment to the pools by Banks produced 70 avocets, 2000 pinkfeet, a pale bellied brent goose and 2 barnacle geese. The bulk of the geese being very distant. A peregrine and a merlin were hunting the marsh sending swirling clouds of dunlin/knot into the sky.2 little egrets.