Sorry been away for a few days so lets catch up:

Friday 27 saw a miserable day with north easterly winds up the Thames which actually meant a fantastic day to spend looking at the river from our convenient visitor center balcony... shame I was on my way to Norfolk!

Hi all

Quick note. The RSPB Rainham Events page is suggesting that the Dusk Walk is tomorrow night until you open the file and it says that it is today!

Confusing I know but it is definitely tonight at 0700 till dark!

Sorry!

Have got the web team looking into it!

Wanted to do an update yesterday but just do not know where the time goes!

Anyway, it has been an interesting week with somewhat inclement weather but a good array of birds including some goodies. Check out www.elbf.co.uk for the full list for the day but undoubted highlight was the Cattle Egret that was found mid-afternoon. It showed very well from the new Shooting Butts Hide for a couple of hours in terrible rain.…

Things have become a little static for the moment with the westerly airflow holding back many new migrants. Ruff, Whimbrel and Avocet are still to be found and a Knot was killed and consumed by a Grey Heron on Friday morning. At least four Whinchat and a couple of Wheatears are around and a Black Redstart was seen briefly on Saturday morning.

Water Voles are still showing very well and a nice Southern Hawker was photographed…

Another pretty good day on the reserve although strangely enough there was no sign of the White-winged Black Tern given the close call it had with death at the mercy of a local Peregrine. Also seen were 12 Little Egrets, 6 Green Sandpipers, 5 Common Sandpipers, 8 Black-tailed Godwits, 4 Curlew, 6 Oystercatchers, 4 Avocet, 8 Ringed Plover, 5 Dunlin, 2 Ruff, 7 Redshank, 4 Snipe, 5 Whinchats, 4 Wheatear, 12 Yellow Wagtail…

I must have had a day off!  There I am watching absolutely nothing on the Thames off Canvey Island bar the inside of my eyelids, when I get the news that a White-Winged Black Tern had been found on Aveley Pools on my beloved reserve.

This species is a scarce visitor from eastern Europe at this time of year and has been a long overdue addition to the already impressive list for the reserve.

Needless to say I did not…

And it ended up being a very good day on the reserve with over 90 species recorded including 16 wader species, five raptors and four terns.

Total for the day included: 103 Commons Terns, 3 Arctic Tern, Black Tern, Little Tern, Wheatear, 4 Avocet, Oystercatcher, Sanderling, 6 Dunlin, 2 Common Sandpiper, 8 Green Sandpiper, 3 Wood Sandpipers, 2 Greenshank, 2 Redshank, 2 Ruff, 58 Lapwing, Little Ringed plover, 10 Ringed…

Already today 14 species of wader have been seen on site and the Thames forshore has not even been checked yet so that could go up! Amongst thise seen have been Avocets, Ruff and Wood Sandpiper so who knows what else could be out lurking on the pools. A Marsh Harrier and Yellow Wagtail have also added early morning interest.

The heavy rain showers of recent days have helped green up the reserve and there are now several…

me again

Does not hurt to post a list every now and then and it certainly shows that birds are on the move...

Yesterday saw the following: 3 Turnstone, 2 Whimbrel, 2 Green Sandpiper, 5 Common Sandpiper, 3 Ruff, 8 Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Wheatear while a female Serin was seen by the Serin Mound with other finches and must surely point to locally present birds rather than migrants given the early date??

Today…

... and have just found out that the red-tagged Marsh Harrier is one of this years young from Stodmarsh NNR in the Stour Valley in Kent

Sorry for the absence for a few days... been away! Yes, I do escape from the reserve occasionally!

Anyway, we still have a good selection of waders on Aveley Pools and the Thames foreshore with Curlew, Whimbrel, Avocet, Black Tailed Godwit, 6 Redshank, Ringed Plover, 6 Dunlin, 2 Ruff, 3 Green Sandpiper and 4 Common Sandpiper!

Two young Avocets (Paul Hawkins)

The woodland was jumping with warblers yes…

morning all

Just been told that a couple of places are advertising tonights Moth event as starting at 1900. This is not the case as it will still be light for ages! The correct time is meet at the visitor center at 2100 before walking down to the event. It should finish at about midnight so bring a torch!

Costings are as normal and there are still several places available

Fingers crossed now for a dry spell this evening…