** Oare Marsh In Extreme Heat **

It has been a long time since I posted on my blog. I have been going out at times, but only for short periods. I haven't be able to take any pictures and I won't be able to  because my telephoto  lens broke and I cannot afford to get a replacement, so my blog will have to go pictureless for now.
Today Pam had a hospital appointment at 9am, so that's why we went there. I was expecting it to be hot today but not at this time of the morning.
We arrived  before mid day, and the temperature was hitting 31C. I was beginning to regret going.  At the East Flood the first thing I noticed was just how much drier it has got, there is so much mud showing. In the shallows was 100's of Black Tailed Godwits, not to be out done there  was a high number of Ringed Plover on the mud, and Golden Plover. There was 4 Grey Heron spread out on the East Flood, 2 of them would have made good photo's, they was sitting on the top of 2 large grass covered mounds, none of them was interested in feeding, along with all the the other birds the heat was just too much for them, the Herons was gulating more than I have ever seen before.
I had this bright idea  about getting out of the sun, so I went to the hide. It was't too bad when I settled down and then it started getting warmer and warmer, I stuck it for as long as possible, I finally had to concede to the heat. I did manage to make bit of a list. I am glad I got it done when I did because just as I was packing up I heard the sound of a helicopter and it was getting closer. It turned out to be a police chopper. Apparently someone from the  Oare area had disappeared, I am not sure when this happened, but the police chopper got closer and closer, it went up and down the creek,  then it turned and went over the hide and around and over the reserve, there wasn't bird that didn't take to flight, this happened twice then it moved on, there was also a police dinghy patrolling the Swale. When we left the temperature was now 32.5c
The bird species I saw was as follows: L/B/B/,  HERRING GULL,  COMMON GULL,  B/H/GULL,  CORMORANT,  GREY HERON,  LITTLE EGRET(3)  GREYLAG GEESE, COOT,  MOORHEN,  MALLARD,  GADWALL, TEAL,  TUFTED DUCK,  REDSHANK,  BLACK TAILED GODWIT,  GOLDEN PLOVER, DUNLIN,  AVOCET,  CURLEW SANDPIPER,  LITTLE STINT(2),  LAPWING,  SNIPE(1),  RUFF(2),   PIED WAGTAIL,  STARLING,
I cannot pick a bird of the day, the only winner today was the sun!