Maple Lodge Nature Reserve in the rain

I conducted an afternoon visit to the reserve with heavy rain falling and conditions somewhat wintry.
Water levels had continued to rise but still below normal for this time of year.
The weather began to improve after an hour or so and on returning to the welcome comfort of the new Teal Hide the sun finally broke through the cloud. A passage of hirundines passed through with c100 birds present, mostly Common House Martin and several Barn Swallow. Then c20 Common Swift briefly fed on emerging insects before continuing on their way. Then from the left appeared a fast moving streamlined figure, a glorious Eurasian Hobby my first of the year, following a few stragglers left behind from the main hirundine flock.
A full list of species encountered as follows:-
Little Grebe (2 pairs), Great Cormorant (6), Grey Heron (6), Mute Swan (pair), Greylag Goose (12 plus 2 pairs with goslings at Lynsters Farm), Canada Goose (2 nesting pairs plus 17 at Lynsters Farm), Egyptian Goose (8 Lynsters Farm), Gadwall (3 plus 2 pairs at Lynsters Farm), Common Teal (pair), Mallard (18), Common Pochard (Lynsters Gravel Pit), Tufted Duck (Lynsters Gravel Pit), Eurasian Hobby (1), Common Moorhen (11), Eurasian Coot (12), Black-headed Gull (2), Lesser Black-backed Gull (2 over), Common Tern (1 over), Feral Rock Dove (4 Lynsters Farm), Stock Dove (3), Woodpigeon (4), Ring-necked Parakeet (1), Common Swift (c20), Common Kingfisher (1), Green Woodpecker (1), Great-spotted Woodpecker (2), Barn Swallow, Common House Martin, Pied Wagtail (1 Lynsters Farm), Wren, Dunnock, European Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Blackcap (8 singing male plus a female), Chiffchaff (3 singing male), Goldcrest (2 singing male), Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Common Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Carrion Crow (pair at nest), Common Chaffinch, European Greenfinch.