Geoff Parish was fortunate enough yesterday to come across this agile Yellow-necked Mouse searching out rose hips down by the woodland classroom. This part of the Cordite is definitely the favoured spot and sightings seem to be increasing since my first two years ago...

I know that you cannot see the yellow neck but the large size, really long tail, bright ginger coat and sharp demarcation between that and the silky…

Yesterday afternoon I ambled along the river wall for 20 minutes and was amazed to see that the brackish channels on the saltmarsh were frozen over. It was -6c when I arrived at 9am and I suspect that the lack of wind helped the ice crystals get going.

Unusually for low tide there were hundreds of duck dabbling along the edge. Mostly Teal but with  many Wigeon bobbing around off shore along with a few 'plooping' Pintail…

The high tide snack bar has been open all week and the usual suspects have been dropping in to see what is on offer. The Carrion Crows and Magpies are quite proficient at finding and dispatching any rodents that get into trouble but the Grey Herons are the masters of the easy meal and simply wade around picking off any that try to make a dash for floating cover...

On the way in... (Barry Jackson)

Looks like a shrew…

It looked like it had been snowing overnight with an amazingly heavy frost carpeting every surface. Yesterday was a light weight in comparison! And with blue skies and no wind I took the opportunity to get out before work and take some snaps...

Frost flowers...

This one looks more like a long landscape shot of a snoy furrowed field.... rather than a bench....

17-1-13

It is so unfortunate (but very common in the natural world) for species to be called 'Lesser' do differentiate from something that may be notionally 'Greater'.

Sometimes it may seem appropriate such as in Lesser and Great Black-backed Gull where one is so much greater than the other and is in fact the biggest of its type in the world.

However, the humble Lesser Whitethroat is only named because it is…

Now, the way that I get people to remember the call of Wigeon is to tell them that when they whistle they are actually saying 'Teal!'  The trick is to remember that Teal do not say 'Wigeon' but rather go 'plip, plip'.

I was up at our Buckenham Marshes reserve in the Yare Valley in Norfolk on Saturday. It was beautiful, cold, calm, still but definitely not quiet.  The Wigeon flocks there are very…

The best birding today was had down on the foreshore where the theme of Some Kind Of Pipit was continued with good views off all three Rainham species including this nice Meadow Pipit taken by Russ Sherriff.

Note the warm plumage tones, obvious mantle stripes, neatly speckled underparts on a pale buff background and pink legs.....

Four Corn Buntings showed well to my group and to an American couple who have become…

In fact, so heavy that plants were weighed down by it.  However, it was my first full circuit for quite some time today and I made the most of it despite the appalling visibility. Lots of frosty photographic opportunities....

16-1-13

Continuing the theme of my new bird yesterday (the Buff-bellied Pipit!), Barry Jackson sent me this cracking shot of a Scandinavian Rock Pipit on the foreshore at Rainham. They may look drab but close up they are very subtlety patterned in almost every shade of olivey-brown and buff imaginable.

Will be spnding even more time now looking at these little seaweed creepers just in case they have an American relative calling…

After the six Dark-bellied Brent Geese in the morning yesterday, there was a flock of 21 in the 'orrible driving rain in the afternoon that followed the pathetic attempt at a blizzard at lunchtime!

A good flock for Rainham! (Brenda Clayton)

Did not hear much from the reserve today as I was very belatedly visiting the Queen Mother Reservoir near Slough to see a brace of American Buff-bellied Pipits that have been…

Some kind sole put out some apples the other day and impaled them on the fence beyond the centre. They were in a nice neat row and looked a little incongruous but the idea of having each one adorned with a Waxwing kept us checking them!

The visiting Blackbirds did however find them and spent Monday hollowing them out!

There may not be much snow on the ground round here but it is still cold so do not forget to stick…

Just for a change on of the Common Seals decided to visit ourside of the river yesterday and showed incredibly well as it fed in the mouth of Mardyke where it happily caught and consumed a huge Thick-lipped Mullet (more pics of that later).

(Louise Moss)

and as promised.... some of Brenda's pics of the seal with her dinner...

14-1-13 & 15-1-13

It is snowing... hark the sound of me eating my words......

14-1-13

A taste of things to come? I suspect not.... This mornings flurry has all gone and although it is cold and grey outside, it does not really feel like a snowy afternoon is in the offing. I may of course have to eat my words!

A few bits and bobs were seen over the weekend including Caspian Gulls, Water Pipits, Marsh Harriers, Peregrines and the first Brent Geese of the year.

Today has seen six more Brent on the river…

Brenda's husband, Mick, passed away in September. He was also a valued volunteer and is sorely missed. Today the second bench at the end of the ramp was dedicated to him much to Brenda's delight. So he now sits alongside David Coe and his bench, and they can both overlook the marshes.

Later on, three young ladies headed out for a walk and sat in a row on Mick's bench....'He would have liked the idea of all that…

Following on from my arty efforts at Wildwood last weekend (find me on Facebook) I tried taking some grainy black & white shots at Rainham too....

Channel to the woodland feeders...

Pylon reflected

Phragmites

Low down on the boardwalk

12-1-13

Ron's return to the blog today was inevitable after a star performance in front of firstly, a pair of frustrated volunteers who he would not sit still for and then a very happy Dawn Cowan who he obviously liked and came right up to. In the world of Ron, this was probably because he was hungry and fancied his chances....

Ron Weasel.... Uber cute.... (Dawn Cowan)

11-1-13

So this is how it went this afternoon....

Visitor: 'Excuse me....? Could I have seen a flamingo in one of the fields today?' 

'I only had binoculars and it did not seem to move much......'

Me: 'Sadly not... as I do belive that it was a stray Hello Kitty helium balloon that had escaped its owner.....'

The resemblance to several species of flamingo (especially the South American varieties) is…

Of late there have been signs that Wood Pigeon is high on the avian menu at the moment. On one day alone there were four kills around the trail including one that was still alive but in a bad way.

From the method of attack it would appear that a Sparrowhawk may be having a go at ones around the woodland as they have had a serious wound on the back where the hawk has mantled its large prey and started to pluck and eat…

Leading into the weekend (and because I will not be around to find out any differently!) it looks like the trails are now all passable. Walking boots are still advisable but wellies are not necessary now.

A real gloomy, murky day and a lot colder and stiller than of late. The Ross's Goose was still around but even more elusive than yesterday and the immature male and female Marsh Harriers were both around so that…

Just a quick post as on my way out (think I am on the only person not to have seen Skyfall!)

A rather good day on the marsh with a wintery sprinkling of stuff to be seen...

• Ross’s Goose still with the mobile Greylag flock today. Make your own minds up as to its origins.
• A record 30 Rock Pipits on the foreshore today plus 2 at the Barges. Two smart Water Pipits also.
• Pair of Bullfinch again in the woodland…

With Bird Garden Birdwatch later in the month, I thought that this timely image of a male Reed Bunting on one of the new range of bird tables on show outside the shop was most apt....

Who knows... perhaps you will entice on into your garden?

by me...

9-1-13

With a bit of sunshine this morning, one of our wintering Robins along the sea wall took the opportunity to seranade the day in meloncholy style. Although he sat right up on top for some time, he would not let me get that close in true continental style. As soon as I turned my back he would reappear.

Plenty of waders on the foreshore both side of the Thames including many Redshank, Dunlin and Lapwing but still…

Things are looking up... Water levels are dropping slowly and at the moment the trail is passable in walking boots (not shoes) or Wellies. Bit sticky in places where the water has subsided but this is only to be expected.

One of the cuttings off the Northern Trail

A new and very wet channel in the woodland...

The woodland feeeders are a little damp but still functioning... as long as the volunteers remember their…

No, not the temperature but the birds! With it getting light that little bit earlier I was able to have a short walk out before work today. Only the Northern Trail and back but worth the effort and just nice to get out for a change. Robins were singing all around and three Song Thrushes were pretty much in full song although not from an open position. No leaves to hide in yet and the female Sparrowhawk dashed through…