Return to Benacre

On Saturday 13 August, at 9.20am, driving through the wood, I saw a Fox in the road, it soon trotted back into the wood. Parking the car, 2 Red Admirals flew by. A tired Gatekeeper resting on the path was flopping around on the path I picked it up carefully and put it on a plant to recuperate. By 9.30am I was walking along the cliffs at Covehithe heading down to the Broad, where the much loved old hide had been taken down and a new hide (sadly 2/3rd smaller but otherwise a great hide) had been set up 100 yards west of the old one. Immediately looking west I saw the 2 1st summer Spoonbills were asleep and when they awoke and stretched their pink bills and blackish grey on the wing tips. They soon wandered over to a group of 3 Little Egrets and feel asleep here too! The Broad or very low looking about 1/2 the size of its usual size obvious due to the drought, heatwave conditions and total lack of rain for weeks. By the mud just over to the right a fine Greenshank was seen. 5 Ringed Plovers seen and a summer plumaged Sanderling was seen on the same stretch of mud. A family party of 4 Sandwich Terns (2 ads, 2 imms) flew in off the sea and wheeled around and all 4 settled on the farside muddy bank. The Greenshank flew to the far muddy bank and then c40 Greylag Geese flew in from the west and settled on the Broad beach side.