I managed to visit for the first time in 7 months.  For the first time in 3 years it did not rain on my visit to this reserve!  Got there at 9am and stayed until 4.30m.  Marched over to the Lower and Public Hides for the Otter, a creature I have never seen in the wild before.  Lower Hide was kind to me last time when I got my first British Osprey sighting.  After nearly 3 hours I gave up but I ddi return to the Public Hide again!  List of birds seen include:-

Blackbird

Black-Headed gull

Black-tailed Godwit

Blue Tit

Brambling

Bullfinch

Buzzard

Canada Goose

Carrion Crow

Chaffinch

Collared Dove

Coot

Cormorant

Coal Tit

Common Gull

Curlew

Dunnock

Little Egret

Gadwall

Goldfinch

Great Crested Grebe

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Great Tit

Greenfinch

Grey Heron

Great Black backed Gull

Geenshank

House Sparrow

Jackdaw

Kingfisher

Lapwing

Lesser Black Backed Gull

Little Grebe

Long Tailed Tit

Mute Swan

Moorhen

Mistle Thrush

Mallard

Magpie

Meadow Pipit

Marsh Tit

Marsh harrier - summer breeders who have successfully over-wintered for the first time

Nuthatch

Oystercatcher

Pheasant

Pied Wagtail

Pochard

Pintail

Redshank

Reed Bunting

Robin

Shoveler

Starling

Song Thrush

Spotted Redshank

Snipe

Teal

Tufted Duck

Treecreeper

Wigeon

Woodpigeon

Wren

Goldeneye  - a male was displaying!

Looks like 63 were seen around the whole reserve.  Some species were missing as I was not specifically there for getting a list!   I was hoping to see an Otter but sadly not to be.  I had a nice lunch too - tuna sandwiches with salad and crisps, date cake with fudge and a cappuccino!  Not very cheap but quite tasty!