Young Lucy finally connects with the Water End Meadows WATER PIPIT

At long last the Water Pipit and I were in the same place at the same time today. An enjoyable hour or so at Water End. I stopped off at the road bridge just before Nettledon Road to check that area first. 1 Kingfisher (and possibly a second bird); 1 Common Snipe; 3 Red-legged Partridge; 1 Little Egret, a handful of Teal and a pair of Canada Geese. Also, at least 6 Brown Hares in the fields beyond the river (see attached for interest). I then made my way round to the Wyevale garden centre and walked back towards Nettleden Road. I enjoyed watching a little Treecreeper sing and feed, and noted 15 Fieldfare flyover. Making my way further down river, I could hear Fieldfare/Redwing and came to the large arable field which runs parallel with the river. It was heaving with Thrushes. A rough estimate would be around 150-200 Fieldfare and Redwing. A larger percen tage being Fieldfare.

I finally made it to the little foot-bridge and there it was....stood feeding the shallows....the WATER PIPIT. Unfortunately, my approach must have alerted it and it flew back up river, which was my way home anyway. I caught up with it again in the shallows by the bridge near the Wyevale garden centre. No chance of any decent photos unfortunately but I was very happy to have had a good look at it (Lucy Flower Birding)