19th March

Walked along the River Severn from Cressage Bridge to Ironbridge where the highlight was probably brilliant but extremely brief views of a big dog Otter at very close range on the bank below me just downstream from Leighton flats; birds seen included my first three singing Chiffchaffs of the spring, 5 Mandarins, the wintering Common Sandpiper and a total of 42 Goosander while more notable in terms of this stretch of river was a Great-crested Grebe at Cressage Bridge (my first on the river since February 2006!) and a single Coot between Leighton flats and Buildwas (the first on the river since 2011!).

Mandarin

Hare

Treecreepers poking out