Twite & Velvet Scoters at Dunwich

On Sunday 11 March, I waited for news of the Twite as I was convinced the sea surge might have caused havoc at Dunwich/ Walberswick plus I was really tired from the previous day driving back from Bath (inc the A143 diversion around Bury st. Edmunds) I arrived at Dunwich car park just after 10am and intially saw very little no twite or Scoter were seen, but a Great White Egret seen in the mid distance pools. All that changed when I heard a shout from the Fergusons back from their holiday up north, and standing on the ridge they were peering out to sea. Looking distantly, north towards Southwold, I saw the 150 strong Scoter flock with helpfully most birds sitting up and flapping their wings showing square white wing flashes on at least 3 birds, 3 fine Velvet Scoters. We walked about a kilometre and a half north where the grass ran out and checked the salt marh pools, we saw a flock of Linnets flying around and we thought we saw 2 slightly smaller more compact birds with them but they were only seen in flight. Until we walked back and they were on the beach near the ridge but a dog walker flushed the 8 birds we thought that was it. Until we walked almost back to the car park and saw a small group of birds peering at 2 birds feeding on the inland grassy pathway they were the 2 fine Twite. Typically brown birds with a pale warm brown face, yellow bills and pink rumps, they were quite small and a delight to see they were reasonably confiding but a close approach wasn't possible as they prefereed a 15- 20 metre distance and Sky Larks feeding before them also meant staying put, an ethical approach to photography (field craft) and making sure the birds weren't flushed. They fed for a few minutes before a crazy dog walker who had admonished us earlier for not being dog walkers and littering plastic on the beach (yes, correct we are not dog walkers but no...I/we have never littered, ever!) The birds then flew but we picked them up slightly further south feeding at the inland foot of the ridge where they fed for a while before she again drove her dog and flushed them again. We later heard she had a go at the very mild mannered JP as well, there are some crazy people about, she obviously doesn't like birders. Fortunately, the birds were seen on the ridge again feeding and they later flew down onto the grassy dune again before finally a family of walkers heading straight towards them pushed a little further north. Will this be the last time we see Twite at Dunwich? I sincerely hope not. I also saw a Water Pipit on the pools too.