HT 05:55-LT 12:19 Mostly a NE light breeze with persistent drizzle between 10:00 and 15:00. Starting at the car park, it was very nice to meet Jason the Warden and Warren, who of course I know very well from the Medway RSPB Local Group. As usual a lot of Tufted Duck, Little Grebe and Pochard with a few Mallard dotted around.Warren and I set off up the track, spotting Blue tits, Great tits and Long tailed tits, Robins, Chaffinches, Blackbirds and a Song Thrush. Over to our right, in the rain Radar yielded very little, just distant views of Great Crested Grebe etc.Flamingo was a different however, at the top end were good numbers of Avocet, Shoveller, Lapwing, Greenshank ( one with an orange ring on each leg ) Pintail, Teal and Tufted Duck and Little Egret. On a spit was a lone Grey Plover and two Snipe.Plenty of Meadow Pipits flew overhead and a couple of Pied Wagtail fed on the far waters edge.Onto the Sea wall, it was nearly low tide and not much was in evidence, a few Pipits amongst the rocks.Unfortunately Warren had pressing RSPB business and had to leave. A little further along the Thames wall were a few Oystercatcher and Curlew. On the East Tilbury side opposite Mucking Buoy 5 there were @ 2,000 gulls mainly both Black Backs and Herring Gulls.Round to Redham Mead, a very nice Shaggy Ink Cap was at the pathside, it was also was nice to see the Red Campion still in bloom, adding a little colour to the grey afternoon.A few day flying moths were around and more than a few wasps. Down to Magwitch and the Mipits became even more plentiful as well as Skylarks, one even singing.A party of 20 Goldfinches descended noisily into a Bramble and fed on the shrivelled blackberries, their equivalent of raisins I suppose.A Green Sandpiper shot up, piping its' alarm. A Merlin zoomed low over Black Barn to the far side of Radar and disappeared.At the Boatrick viewpoint it was great to see all three pools filling up. No 3 had a lot of G.B.B. Gull and 75 odd Lapwing on. Searching the edge of BB3 were two foxes in excellent condition and a further 13 Snipe feeding and resting amongst the vegetation. Corvids were as usual abundant, Crow, Magpies, Jackdaw and Rook. Here the still flowering Wall Rocket provided the colour. Walking back down to Allen's pond was a hovering Kestrel and six Mute Swans over flying. They were soon followed by a skein of 15 Greylag Geese, 3 Cetti's were heard, not seen of course. Both commoner Woodpeckers were present and a lovely female Stonechat posed atop the fragmites. Back at the car park and a last look at Crystal/Conoco produced the earlier elusive Black necked Grebe and a Common Gull. Another fabulous, if slightly damp day at RSPB Cliffe Pools.
thanks once again to Dave Saunders for this account of his visit to RSPB Cliffe Pools. Dave, I really enjoy reading these, thank you!