Thursday November 19

My timing was pretty hopeless today. After failing to leave the house during a cloudy and dry early part of the morning, I finally arrived at Netherstead at 10.00 just as rain appeared from the west.

I tried sheltering beneath the overhang of the barns there, and was joined by an over-affectionate black cat who clearly recognised me from previous visits.

Don't you know I'm allergic to you?

A lucky black cat? Nope. After thirty minutes I concluded I was just going to have to get wet, so I left the cat (who didn't fancy it) and headed for the flashes.

I got soaked and saw two Stonechats, three Snipe, and two Green Sandpipers. A large flock of ducks on the pool turned out to be 200 Mallard, plus two Wigeon.

Various thrushes, at least one Siskin and the odd Redpoll flew out of the hedgerows but I was in no mood to really look at them.

There will be better days.