Despite the weather, there is still an abundance of things to see on the North Kent Marshes, including these Willow Emerald Damselflies imaged by Rob Budgen on the path down to the predator fence from the RSPB Office.
Easily overlooked, due to the association with waterside trees, where the large, long-bodied adults are often seen hanging wings aspread. This species is now recently found in South-east England.
First recorded at Cliffe Marshes in 1992, by 2012 some twenty years later it has become pretty much firmly established.
Other sighting recently at Cliffe Pools:-.Still 2 juvenile Black-winged Stilts on Black barns pools and Radar pools.125 Teal, 16 Shoveler, 1 Spoonbill (immature on SP/Hidden Pool islands), 1 Water Rail (heard on B.B.P.), 6 Oystercatcher (Flamingo Pools), 1,915 Avocet (1,890 roosting on Flamingo Pools), 1 Little Ringed Plover (S.P.), 4 Ringed Plover (S.P.), 1 Golden Plover (flew over East), 3 Grey Plover (S.P.), 1 Little Stint (adult on B.B.P. from 2nd viewpoint), 5 Dunlin (Flamingo Pool), 3 Ruff (male B.B.2. 2 juvs on R.P.), 13 Snipe (6 S.P, 7 B.B.P.), 340 Black-tailed Godwit (mostly Radar Pool and Flamingo Pool), 1 Bar-tailed Godwit (FP), 2 Curlew (FP), 31 Greenshank (including 9 R.P., 10 SP, 8 F.P.), 5 Common Sandpiper, 1 Mediterranean Gull (juv on R.P.), 70 Goldfinch, many thanks to Murray Orchard for his sightings.
The North Kent Marshes are a very special area and worth preserving at all cost.