11.00 An interesting visit on a stunning day. The new Steart Marshes area quiet bar a few little egrets, some shelduck feeding toward the estuary, pied wagtails and one yellow feeding on the paths, numerous wheatear on the fences, plus large numbers of house martin and swallow overhead. Flocks of goldfinches on the thistles. One kestrel, and then a very strange looking pale hawk, near the Polden hide, which the staff advised is a leucistic sparrowhawk.
13.00 On to the old patch
Pair buzzards
Linnets
And from the tower hide a superb view of a immaculate ringtail harrier, moving down river, being mobbed by crows, which headed off across the Parrett toward Burnham.
The tide now receding, 200-300 curlew moving out onto the mudbanks, intersperesed with a good number of ringed plover. A smallish flock (c100) of Dunlin turning in the bright light.
