The weather has been wretched; torrential rain and driving winds and severe flooding in all the places at risk of that, but today was actually pretty pleasant, with the sky a bright-ish grey and not much wind or rain.

We paid a visit to Martin Mere, and once again I was intending to sort through enough teal to find the American visitor that has been reported, but instead was distracted by the raptors. A Peregrine sat upon a clod close to the United Utilities hide, with distant buzzards on fence-posts more easilyy seen from the Ron Barker hide. In the latter location, a Sparrowhawk and a female Marsh Harrier perched up nicely to give excellent views, and what I’m pretty sure was a Merlin streaked past with Carrion Crows in hot pursuit.

Around the rest of the reserve, a Redwing was eating berries right by the path, as bold as any Robin, providing closer views than I’ve previously had. At least one Goldcrest was tagging along with a marauding flock of Long-tailed Tits, and the usual finches and tits were at the Janet Kear feeding station.

As for wildfowl: I looked at a thousand or so teal with no joy, and there didn’t seem to be many geese about so no surprise I didn’t spot the White Fronted Geese that have been around of late. Just as we were leaving, however, I checked the sightings sheet at the centre, and Andy had updated it with the news that a Green-winged Teal had been seen from the In Focus shop. Dashing back, we were pleased to see that the bird in question was asleep and still centred in Andy’s scope. Tick, job done, off to Sinner’s Club for beefburgers.