The weather has been a bit of a mixed bag this week with a glorious hot Bank Holiday Monday being followed by the Biblical storm of Tuesday (I have never been so wet!) and then descending into a murky misty haze that has lasted till this morning when the sun has just managed to force itself through.
The Spoonbill was seen until Wednesday and a male Mandarin on BHM was only the third for the reserve and caused me to scoot round to the Butts Hide for a look while a fly through Turtle Dove that zoomed into Essex across the Thames from Kent was only the second sighting this year of this fast declining species.
Spoonbill - Phil Wallace
A few more Ringed Plovers have been moving through and a fine summer plumaged Curlew Sandpiper was caught up with them but I suspect that spring wader passage is now at an end.
Curlew Sandpiper - Andy Tweed
There are Lapwing and Redshank chicks everywhere and broods of duck too. The Great Crested Grebe pairs both have stripy young which is good news.
Great Crested Grebes
Lets hope that they can keep away from the Grey Herons...!
Grey Heron - Ian Mackenzie
I wonder what the weekend will hold?
1-6-18
Howard Vaughan, Information Officer