Patch and then Benacre for Summer plumaged Slav Grebe

A look around Corton revealed a calling Chiff- Chaff low down in Corton Churchyard and another Chiff- Chaff at Corton New Sewage works. 2 Blackcap heard too. Nothing at ness Point or the Netposts. A tweet from Carl had me driving straight to Covehithe. I parked and walked down to the Broad, where Carl B and Maurice B were in the hide watching the bird. A fine summer plumaged Slavonian Grebe. It was reasonably close just beyong the hide inlet it was swimming left and diving, I only saw it for around 3 minutes before it disappeared. The light was awful. Meanwhile by the side of the inlet a Male Gadwall seen. On the beach edge, Ringed Plover, 2 amorous Oystercatchers (later seen copulating and a lone Avocet , stood the farside of the beach edge. A male Marsh Harrier quartered the reeds by the back. Richard D came into the hide and soon picked up the Slavonian Grebe, which had amazingly swam right well over to the right and some distance away on the Broad. Paul & Jane F arrived and after a while we walked down to the beach and saw the Slavonian Grebe. It was by the beach edge but still quite distant. Carl mentioned he had seen 3 Wheatears on Kessingland inland dune, so parking at the rather euphemistically called Beach car park which around a quater of a mile from the beach, I walked down to the beach and then half a mile over to the Kessingland inland dune. I saw a male and female Wheatear briefly then again along the southern end. A pair of Stonechats were feeding very low on the ground. It was also very noticable the number of small flocks of Linnets seen on the dunes path and also on the walk back, probably 7 groups of around 15- 20 birds seen (around 110 in total) and 1 male Linnet briefly on the fence as I walked north back along the coastal path. Itis rare to see such a proliferation of Linnets, they are always nice to see. All 3 Wheatears (2 males and a female) seen along the northern end, thwen along the western side, I managed to sneak up on 2 birds before first one and then 2 dog walkers flushed the birds.