Worth getting up for

We did our monthly Wetlands Bird Survey this morning!. I think it was probably our best ever. We saw 31 bird species - quite a lot of singing SongThrush, a large number of Mandarins (see extras), a Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk. Most excitingly, I heard the call of Curlews, then we saw 3 by the water's side. This may not sound much to anyone who lives by the coast, but in this part of the country, the return of the Curlews to their breeding grounds is a real sign that Spring is on the way. it was also the first time we've recorded them on our patch. They seem very early this year.