Big twitch to Essex

On Friday 5th January, I took A/L from work and together with Paul & Jane F (needing the much needed luck as I have missed several big rarities recently) at 7am drove down to Heybridge, Maldon in Essex. Parking at the Daisy Meadows car park having negotiated several flooded roads. We walked right along the river path and through a few roads in surburbia before we saw an area to the side which had reeds bramble and a flooded ditch where the bird had been seen. We arrived on scene around 9.30am, where there was already a large crowd of around 100 people stood around the bank that curled around the flooded ditch. 3 and a half hours passed and no sign of the bird whatsoever we were joined by Jeremy G for an hour or so before he left. Suddenly at around 12 noon behind us in a bush covered ditch where there were only 3 gaps to look in the watery here, I had noticed 2 birders looking in these gaps several times. I heard a double sharp Dipper like call and there was a ripple in the crowd as the more knowledgable birders realised this was the flight call of the bird we were after. Suddenly, a chap had it perched in the bushes but it appeared to move right and we all moved into position, I opted for height but was restricted in a small concrete area with railings and other birders descened into a scrum up here. I abandoned the camera and scope and I knelt down as birders were now saying the bird could be seen in the base of the bush covered ditch. Jane F could could see it, but I couldn't even though I was just a few feet from her. I could'nt move and a voice beside me says just concentrate on the puddle rippkle and the bird will appear, a such enough it did, an absolutely fantastic Northern Water Thrush, Robin sized with cream supercilia, and markings below with thick dark streaking on white underbelly and bubble gum legs and pinkish bill. It walked right picking away at the puddle while its tail was pumped frequently it then quickly walked left again before taking its time constantly feeding around the edge of the puddle and then finally disappeared right of the gap in the hedge. Seen for around 3 minutes, sometime obscured views and sometimes showing completely in the gap and briefly well. The bird appaered to fly right and we decided to leave, I relieved to be out of the scrum, relieve my camera and scope. Next stop was Lodge road Abberton reservoir. We parked at the Community Centre and took the short walk over to the edge of the reservoir where intially we saw a flock of around 120 birds, mostly Tufted Duck, but also 3 Wigeon, 5 Pochard and briefly on thr right hand end a fine female Scaup. Along the back of the reservoir we could a 300+ flock of very distant Pochard, no hope of picking the Canvasback bfro there.