First Sand Martin

I saw my first, rather overdue Sand Martin today, feeding over the river from the new footbridge. It really seemed like it was struggling against the strong winds.

In the middle of the racecourse there were two male Wheatears, and in the reeds at Hackney Marshes there was one Water Rail which ran into thick cover before I could take a picture of it!

Still lots of Chiffchaffs feeding on the ground. I expect the reason for this is that in these cold, windy conditions, the insects that the Chiffchaffs feed on have retreated from the trees and bushes to the ground where it is warmer and more sheltered. In cold weather like this, birds this small lose about 10% of their body weight over night just keeping themselves warm, so they need to eat as much as they can during the day.

A visiting birder had also seen the (?) Little Gull along Teignmouth beach.