Glory be!

I've only been and done it - caught a pike; that is. A scrappy little jack of about 5 lbs, I also bumped a second, smaller, fish which took a fancy to my 1/2 Herring. Once again I was out on the RMC, battling with a bone chilling, gusting 35 mph, NE wind as well as the slippery bank side steps of the cut out swims.
I had chosen a slightly deeper section than I normally fish - and bingo!

Same old kit - two Duncan Kay/Matt Hayes combos

Still not convinced that this particular area has all the right ingredients for a "big pike" but, I'll stick with it for the holiday period - I should get another three sessions in before 5th January sees me return to work? Had the very good fortune to get time for a chat with Brian Harper; he asking if I'd find a Smew along the canal during this campaign, just to complete the set of saw-bills.

The same swim - as viewed from my perspective, standing on the main footpath beside the canal.

Birding was rather slow, although the steady procession of gulls did include a high proportion of Great Black-backs (something that was also noted at Sandwich Bay) heading into the prevailing wind. Four Little Egrets (a group of 3, right on dawn, and a single around 10.00 hrs) followed the same route as did a skein of seven "grey" geese, high up and out over the adjacent shoreline - thus directly into the sun. My gut feeling is White-fronts - let's see if they got picked up at Samphire Hoe or St. Mag's - they passed my position around 09.15 hrs. Cracking views of a female Kingfisher and a surprise fly pass by a female Gadwall, there was always something to look at despite my silent alarms.
A magnificent, adult male, Sparrowhawk caused panic amongst the local Jackdaws as it sped over the surrounding gardens - a couple of Water Rails were scrapping in the reed bed opposite my position, quite often charging out into open water whilst engaged in their noisy dispute. A couple of Chiffchaff and a Cetti's Warbler about sums up my morning - it was good to be back out on the bank.