i'm into argies nearly as much as caspo's. lade sands has gotta be the best place on the channel coast to see em and there were a load there yesterday which included a colour ringed bird that was trapped at pitsea landfill site, essex, on 6th December. check out the p10 pattern on the left hand bird below!

an adult caspian gull at west rise and 3 water pipits, approx 30 gadwall and 130 teal

my first chance to get over to horse eye today. soon after arriving the richard's pipit flew high overhead calling - it went strongly in an east southeast direction until lost from view which may give a clue as to its whereabouts when it goes awol. a circular walk over the levels produced a ringtail being mobbed by a raven, frequent marsh harriers including a male, a short-eared owl and a merlin. on returning to the road the richard's had reappeared and was showing well next to the model aircraft field. after dropping in on west rise and seeing that there was a decent gull passage on including lesser black-backs at last, i carried on to the cuckmere which proved to be disappointing with just 3 caspian (2 ad + 3rd-w), a ylg and a few argies.

3 water pipits and a lovely flock of around a dozen bearded tits at west rise