A week too late for WEBS, but a drop of rain transforms the place - shallow standing water in front of the hide. It can't last because of the hyper-efficient drainage. But, there were around 80 teal, 20 mallard and 15 or so moorhen near the hide. Two Ruff were lurking in the rushes: they were forced into the open by a moorhen: one was a Reeve. Also a Green Sandpiper, and a small brown, silent, wader glimpsed in flight for a nanosecond which may or may not have been a dunlin.
To reach the hide without scaring everything off in front of it you have to approach along the inland side of the hedge bank which runs down to it, cross the ditch at the ditch crossing and creep doubled up into the hide. In doing so you risk scaring off everything in the open water to the east of the hide. Had the hide been built correctly on the end of the hedge bank, with a screened approach, it would have been able to see both ways.
A Wheatear and a Whinchat were near the hide: there were two more wheatear on the bridleway down from Gupton to Freshwater West. A kestrel was the only raptor. Good flocks of small birds feeding on the plentiful seeds, and 7 Chough were feeding in the tussocky vegetation. At least 3 Cetti's warblers sang in different parts of the reedbed, several Water rail calling.
