Now the juv ruff are coming through in numbers, the annual weekly claims of buff breasted sand have started so when one came over the radio yesterday afternoon I was slightly sceptical. I was asked to go to Parrinder Hide to check a wader that people thought was a buff breast. The description over the radio on the way down sounded like ruff so I was pretty surprised to find a buff breasted sandpiper feeding within 10m of the hide!! The hide was buzzing with excitement especially as the bird was getting closer and ended up within 10ft feeding with 10 ruff, 20 dunlin and a cracking juv curlew sand.

Despite the disturbance with the coastal project and our management work, the fresh marsh is looking awesome. This afternoon there were 100 dunlin, 60 ringed plover, 45 ruff, 4 curlew sands, 2 green sands, greenshank, juv arctic tern, spoonbill plus the buff breast - I can't wait to see the place pulls in next autumn once the work has finished.

With the small arrival of passerines yesterday I decided to check Thornham Point but the weather had cleared up too quickly with the only thing of note an adult turtle dove flushed from the dunes.