Insomnia pays off

After a terrible nights sleep and wide awake at the crack of dawn there was nothing for it but to head off down to the reserve, and I'm glad I did! From the Sanctuary and Rotunda hides the Greenshank was again observed busily feeding on the marsh and from Teal hide the Green Sandpiper was again noted. Then I visited the Sluice hide where a very close Kingfisher posed for my camera as did a lone Grey Wagtail.
At the Long Hedge a party of warblers moved through with 2 Garden Warbler, 10 Blackcap and 5 Chiffchaff all noted in a ten minute period. Then on to the Shell hide where 79 Black-headed Gull sat in the shallow water. Among them was an oddity, smaller with a shorter, dark bill and shorter dark legs and more grey-brown over-all appearance, a juvenile Little Gull. I managed to take a couple of record shots before something spooked the gull flock and the Little Gull disappeared over the Long Hedge heading towards Lynsters Farm.

                                          Greenshank

                                          Kingfisher

                                           Little Gull

                                           Grey Wagtail