I walked round the Cleddau at Hook to see if Harry’s Avocet was still around. Was treated to the sight of a Peregrine chasing a Curlew down the river, stooping twice but missing both times and then trying to take Wigeon off the water, also unsuccessfully as they crash dived as it passed. Was about to call it a day when the Avocet flew up river to the spot where Harry had reported it - opposite Millin Pill. Took a couple of photos before realising I had no disk in the camera - doh! Half an hour later, with disk, the bird was still there with half a dozen lapwing. Before I could get close enough to take a shot, a noisy flock of Greylag geese passed over and put the birds up, to fly downstream. What I had taken to be a Cormorant turned into a Great Northern Diver once I saw its white chest and bothered to look through my binoculars - the first time I have seen one this far up river. I caught up with Harry at Foughborough Point, who generously pointed out the Pintail and Grey Plover he had found there. All the usual birds present in the mouth of Sprinkle Pill, with the addition of the Avocet, foraging at a distance on the south bank. By this time a light drizzle had started and distance and poor light allowed only a very low quality record shot. On the walk back I flushed a Snipe and Woodcock which brought the day's sightings to 48 species - not a bad start to the year!
(David Ord)