Far Ings,Waters Edge and Return back to Far Ings 17-3

With the alarm going off at 6.30 it was up and down to empty the moth trap with only a single Hebrew Character for my efforts.
So with Mandy up and ready we set off for Far ings and headed straight for the scrape hide where a Chiffchaff gave Mandy her first views of the year and sang his heart out while Bullfinches gave good views in a small willow
and a Great Spotted Woodpecker sat at the top of the Alder Trees.After a hour or so with no Bittern showing we headed for Ness Hide with even less waterfowl then before which included
Goldeneye,Gadwall,Teal,Mallard,Mute Swan and Great Crested Grebe with a Little Grebe Calling
after 30mins Mandy spotted a Raptor flying through which I identified as a Male Hen Harrier and minutes later
a Fem/Imm Male Marsh Harrier came across the reed beds with a Common Buzzard appearing aswell.
other birds of note were 2 Treecreeper,Long-tailed,Blue & Great Tit
So off we set for a 20min walk down to Waters Edge CP
to try and photograph the pair of Stone Chats we keep missing but again no sign so we tried out some flight shot skills on the ducks with Mallard,Tufted Duck,Pochard,Canada & Greylag Geese & Mute Swans being present
after a hour or so it was time for a coffee in the Honey Pot cafe,half way down my coffee in jumped with surprise when a Imm Male Black Redstart came and sat on a post by the cafe i soon grabbed Mandy to make sure she seen it and both grabbed our cameras for some shots but it soon got moved on by walkers so we went back inside to get moaned at by some old guy saying make sure the door shut properly because it's alarmed well had to think the bloody alarm won't be on while the place is open will it?
After finishing our drinks we went back in search of our new target and mandy made a phone call to Howard so he could come and get it aswell,after 20mins or so it reappeared back on the posts giving good views.Has Andy sharp arrived it had flitted over the inlet to the boat yard but still visible for another 30mins and then Andy got a text saying a Red-crested Pochard was on Pit 4 at Far ings well that was it with another yeartick to bag we was off for another 20min walk back to Far ings on arriving it didn't take long to locate the Male with light going we watched it for a short while and set back off for home,A great days birding