Several of these almost prehistoric looking critters have been seen recently on the trails, especially around the woodland. They are the very active larvae of the Glow-worm (which of course is not a worm but a beetle!). Will have to check but pretty sure that their favourite snack is snails and slugs!

Not glowing yet! (Chris Lowe)

Quite muggy ouitside at the moment and hopefully a dry day will allow some more butterflies to emerge! Several Holly Blues and Speckled Woods were on the wing yesterday but i would like some to show for the Insect Afternoon Walk today and the butterfly Bonanza walk tomorrow!

Holly Blue (Chris Lowe)

With a touch of easterly it was nice to see some new waders today with 21 Dunlin, two Sanderling and a Little Stint over the rising tide and onto the back of Purfleet Scrape before departing high north and inland. Ten large dark Tundra race Ringed Plover used the very last inch of the mud and a single Grey Plover and five Whimbrel were seen again. Two Hobbies entertained during the day and the Short-eared Owl was once…

... and not not a hirsute gentleman with an expectorant problem... but the first proper dragonfly to emerge into the gloom of another dull, not overly warm May day! This one was fairly torpid and was struggling to get going and as such allowed some most excellent views!

Hairy Hawker (by me)

and by John Ainsworth....... wow! What was I doing wrong!

You can even see the ginger fuzz behind the eyes and on the thorax…

Our sole baby Lapwing today. Already quite independent and growing rapidly with much still keeping a watchful eye on her precious charge.

17-5-12

The last couple of days has all been about Mute Swans out on the marsh.  For starters the pair on Purfleet Scrape are still playing the non-committal game with a pretend nest and lots of posturing still. I suspect that they are fairly new to this breeding lark and will stake their claim next year.  They have spent today chasing off another pair that were looking to get in on the action!

(Barry Jackson)

Meanwhile the…

The wind and rain have beenkeeping the Swallows, Martins and Swifts so low this week that they are close enough to hear the sound of their wings as they zoom past your head. the Swifts are particularly energetic at the moment and although these are probably not our local birds they are still engageing in display chases and peculiar fluttering flight when the lead bird appears to be offerings itself to the one behind.…

In North America their version of Little Egret is very similar and is known as Snowy Egret.  I wish our ones were called that instead. 'Little' is such a demeaning word for such a lovely creature. We have become rather blaze about them as they have become commoner and I suspect that most birders now scarely give them a glance unless you are living in northwest England or Scotland where they continue to be a scarce but…

I know that I have talked about MEGA-FROGS at Rainham before but we have never had an image of one. 

Even allowing for the beast inflating itself, this whopping great amphibian almost seems too heavy for the heron to lift let alone dispatch!

It's legs are thicker that the legs of the heron and even its thighs are about the same!!!!!!!

Many thanks to Chris Lowe for capturing the moment!

16-5-12

Funily enough one of the commonest migrants that I saw in Lesvos was Whinchat with dozens along every fence line as they headed across the Greek Island on their way north. Now this used to be a common breeding species across England and unlike now was not confined to upland areas. In fact, Rainham Marshes used to have them as a common breeding species well into the 1980s. So where have they all gone??

One by me a long…

I am still ploughing through the wealth of images that I got sent whilst away. Amongst them were many Wheatears shots representing a full variety of plumages and probably both British and the larger more brightly coloured Greenland birds. On some days over 20 were seen and even today there were still three Greenland type birds out on the marsh. Identification is a little subjective and photos can exaggerate posture so…

We have two male Cuckoos on the marsh at the moment and one has definitely set up the Cordite as his main song perch. He can be heard nost days trying to attract the attention of any passing females. Two females have also been see.  One a normal looking bird and the other a glorious ginger and chestnut hepatic phase bird that has probably been visiting here and the Ingrebourne Valley for the last few years. This is quite…

Things are not always as they seem and when this wonderful male Greenfinch flew into a coach in the car park you would have been forgiven for thinking that it had met its end in a swift and sudden manner and was now eating rosehips outside the avian Pearly Gates.

However (and I have not asked him why yet...) Basil Thornton who saw it happen chose to sit with the stricken bird on the grass for twenty minutes after which…

Yesterday saw the emergence of the first Hairy Hawker dragonfly and today there were several chilled looking Large Red and Blue-tailed Damselflies on the wing. Not sure they were too chuffed about the wind and cold rain today though!

BTD - a teneral male (Chris Slade)

LRD (Chris Slade)

15-5-12

Now if you had been watching The One Show on Friday evening you may have seen a piece about RSPB Ouse Washes being flooded out and all the waders and ducks losing their nests.  In the middle of the piece was about 3 seconds (yes even shorter than my own appearance the other week!) of moving film of a female Lapwing settling down on her almost floating eggs in front of the Butts Hide.  Needless to say, there was no mention…

Acrocephalus warblers are the family that includes Reed and Sedge Warblers. With windy conditions these birds have been singing from low down to avoid being blown away!

Reed Warbler (David Dent)

Sedge Warbler (David Dent)

14-5-12

Despite the poor weather and generally cold conditions, Water Voles have been starting to show better and visitors are often picking up half a dozen or so around the trails including several little furry bundles of joy!

Water Vole ... Not sure if he is playing a didgeridoo or smoking a cheroot! (David Dent)

With a working predator proof fence, one of the immediately obvious effects has been the increase in the number of Canada Geese within its confines. Strangely enough we normally only get two or thre pairs breeding per year but at least 15 pair are on site and the first two goslings are currently paddling around Purfleet Scrape with their parents. Plenty more to come I reckon!

Chris Lowe

...and some more hot news.…

Despite the 'orrible weather our snug little Long-tailed Tit nests have busily producing mini-me versions destined to follow their parents around begging for food! Clive Watts managed to capture these feisty youngster hanging out of their bed a day or two before they feldged.

It is now 0537 and things have hotted up outside. The sun has now actually decided to show itself and all the late comers are getting up including Whitethroats, Blue Tits and Geenfinches. Blackbirds, Blackcaps and Wrens are stil going strong and the Skylarks are starting to climb.  Magic...

Blackcap (Les Harrison)

Blackbird (Chris Lowe)

Greenfinch (Barry Jackson)

...which is not really surprising as it is a little after 3.30 in the morning. However, although a little chilly, it is calm and clear and a good dawn chorus beckons for the ten souls hardy enough to book up. I can already hear Sedge Warbler, Blaclcap, Skylark, Blackbird, Robin, Coot and Redshank and even the Marsh Frogs are feeling warm enough for an eaarly burst of croaking.

Wish I was going out with them this morning…

There are many more Reed Warblers in now and when the wind decides to drop and the sun dares to show its faintly ashamed looking face, the denizens of the phragmites come to life and along with Sedge Warbler and our resident Cetti's Warblers.

I have everything crossed that Sunday morning is clear and calm for our first Dawn Chorus Walk of the year.....  there were still about 15 places left when I last looked so give…

Yet another 'while I was away'! Hobbies became almost a daily feature over the last couple of weeks and as I said yesterday I saw one hawking around the car park.  With Large Red Damsels now emerging and the first Hairy Hawkers imminent it is likely that sightings will only increase although hirundines and other small birds are very high on the current menu this early in teh season!

Russ Sherriff got these shots…

Spent quite a bit of this week staring out of the window wishing that I could be out there wondering around my office but alas Reception was calling and I have had to entertain myself by checking every available Swift for something special. 

Even had a glimmer of hope today when a Pacific Swift was reported at Dungeness this morning.... would it come north and give me just reward for my diligent sky watching? No of course…