Beeding Brooks

It has been a frustrating time not being able to get across to Beeding Brooks since mid-summer because the footbridge was closed for repair.  They finished the work on Christmas Eve and re-opened it, but since then it has been too wet.  My first attempt at our usual tour of the meadows and the riverbank was blocked by a flooded path, but I finally got round yesterday. A couple of Greylag Geese flew over, but there was no sign of the flock of about 100 that I had seen on that side of the river recently.  There were Fieldfares, a Songthrush and a little flock of Skylarks.
Over towards Horton on the east side there was a large flock of Lapwing.  They were too far away to count, but large groups were taking to the air, rising up, circling round and settling again.  The flocks flashed black to white and back to black as they banked and turned.  Later as I approached the river, a Sparrow Hawk flipped over a high hedge, swerved as it caught sight of me, and then dived down to knee height and flew low and purposefully towards Horton.