A very early morning walk at 5.30 am (well if I wanted to watch England play in the World Cup at 1 pm I had to make an effort) was well rewarded especially with my first Common Ringed Plover of the year. (The football was pretty amazing too)

Only minutes in to my walk and I spotted a muntjac deer in amongst the cereal crops.

On the marshes there were lots of reed buntings and sedge warblers (not so easy to photograph) and a single skylark and a solitary pied wagtail. A couple of swifts soared the reed beds too.

Reed bunting

Sedge warbler

Skylark

Swift

Pied wagtail (or is it a white wagtail?)

I saw only two Common Ringed Plover – but what a joy.

In the pools there were little egrets, avocets, black-headed gulls and oystercatchers but really a bit too far off for photos.

Little egret

A meadow pipit (?) believing it was a ringed plover.

There were not too many people around but evidence that someone had been clearing up plastic waste.

There were some amazing vegetation on the beach too.

The crops also looked great (even though the farmers must be complaining about the weather).

The insects were happy too.

Four spotted chaser

Click below for a gallery of photos from this morning’s walk (apologies for so many ringed plover photographs.: