The end of winter?

Another spring-like day and another scout around the London Wetland Centre. Since Monday the water level on the Wader Scrape has been lowered revealing a good expanse of fresh mud that is really pulling in the birds (top photo). This pool alone produced 2 Jack Snipe, 6 Common Snipe, 1 Water Pipit, 5 Pintail (second photo), 102 Shoveler, 110 Teal, 6 Gadwall and a Shelduck. Surely an LRP is due here any day now? Other birds seen around the reserve include 33 Wigeon, 10 Pochard, 127 Tufted Duck, another 20 Shoveler, 3 more Common Snipe, 37 Lapwing, 1 Redwing, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Reed Bunting and 1 redpoll sp. over. With reports of a Willow Warbler heard singing from the car park over the last few days, it feels like spring is finally here, but maybe the pair of nest-building Long-tailed Tits seen today were getting just a little overexcited - surely they are forgetting the late winter freeze that's just around the corner?