Hi all

Sorry for the absence but been away for ten days.  Will update later but just to say that due to the severe snow here we have had to close the reserve trails... you just can not see where the paths end and the ditches start!  The centre is open as normal for a hot drink and a snowy view but will we bill closing at 12pm so that we have a chance to get home in the light...

Yesterday Jerry found a cute little female Black Redstart feeding along the mantlets. I managed to catch up with it just before dark. The male Marsh Harrier also showed well again. Compare it with the photos of the immature male. So far today there are at least ten Bearded Tits in the perimiter ditch, singing Cetti's Warbler in the car park, an Avocet in Aveley Bay and four Dark-bellied Brent Geese headed down river…

Simply stunning... This male Bearded Tit allowed Chris Lowe a close approach...

Cold and windy but some great photo opportunities today; not only from the Beardies (another video from Peter Fallan here http://gallery.me.com/peterfallan/100799 ) which are still around but also from Snipe in front of the hide, a showy Water Rail, the immature male Marsh Harrier and a very dinky, very late Northern Wheatear.

Marsh Harrier (Dave McGough)

Common Snipe (Russ Sherriff)

Water Rail (Dave McGough…

and nearly forgot that unlike this evening it was a marvelous sunset last night.

I took this one looking into London with the heights of Canada Tower and its siblings (13miles away), the new flats on the Isle of Dogs and the London Eye (Top half, 17miles away on the left hand side) clearly visible.

Yes, I know, It's 2130 and I am back on my pc at home and sort of technically still working but hey ho...

Was going to do this tomorrow but have already uploaded some footage online from some of the goodies this weekend.

Bearded Tit plus Water Rail in the background! by Richard Duhrsen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0gmA0M_avY

Caspian Gull by Jonathan Wasse http://surfbirds.com/video2/view_video.php?viewkey…

What a day........... The weather today about sums the week up! No wind at last but terrible driving rain from mid morning onwards. However, those with the wet weather gear were treated to fantastic views of several Bearded Tits, the male Marsh Harrier and a bobbing Jack Snipe from the Ken Barrett Hide. I have been given some footage of the JS and will upload it onto Youtube tomorrow and post a link.

Just a quick update to say that a 2nd winter Caspian Gull has just been found on the Target Pools. Nice to have one on the Gull Day!

And now 13 Bearded Tits on the circuit!

Beardie (Paul Hawkins)

Morning all

Just a quick reminder that the FREE Gull ID Workshop is on today in the Shooting Butts Hide. Just come along and join in between 10 and 2 and see what you can learn.

The immature male Marsh Harrier has been around during the week and the striking adult male has been quartering the scrape in front of the centre for the last hour this morning already. It is overcast with a slight breeze so there is s good chance…

More info today on the new hide works... the foundations are actually a floating platform and today they have been putting in the supporting pilings...

image by Brenda Clayton

The two Pink footed Geese are still around and seven Bearded Tits entertained throughout the day while the Bullfinch put in another brief appearance in the woodland.

And a glorious if somewhat cold day after the dreadfulness of yesterday!

Keep being sent amazing images! Stonechat is such a characteristic bird of the marshes in the winter and their habit of perching up on suitable objects makes them a photographers dream...  nice one Barry Jackson...

Just a quick update:

After a short lull, work started again today on the Purfleet Scrape Hide with trenches being dug for foundations and the like (sort of guessing a bit here but that is what it looked like!)

Will keep you posted when I find out more. Oh, and the newly raised pathway on the southern trail between the first boardwalk and the Marshland Discovery Zone is now completed and fully open.

Not a bad couple of days with two of the Pink-footed Geese still present along with up to seven Bearded Tits (including a ringed bird), the adult male Marsh Harrier, two Short-eared Owls, Bullfinch and a Curlew Sandpiper.

Even more of a surprise was the continued presence of a young Wheatear on the river wall. Surely it will move on this week?

Wheatear (Dave McGough)

It was blowing a gale today and the easterly…

Sorry could not resist this shot by Dave McGough of a pair of Stonechats. The male has been captured mid-flight with something big and juicy in his bill while his other half seems to be applauding his athleticism!

Evening ... Bob Jenner (amongst others) saw and photographed this weird looking Starling today out on the reserve.  Now, albinism is not that unusual in birds such as Starlings and Blackbirds but this one is almost perfectly symmetrical on both sides with white greater coverts, upper tertial, primaries and tail!

Calm, crisp and clear with stunning autumn colour and a wonderful sunset over the Thames taken only ten minutes ago by Janet Cassell