A Walk In The Sun 18 December 2017

I managed a peasant crisp walk around the reserve yesterday morning with Simren in the hope of at last adding Kingfisher to her list. Despite the frozen conditions we got lucky and had a superb fly by at close range near the Reedbed Discovery Zone. She was over the moon at this flashing streak of blue and orange.

The Bearded Tits did not disappoint either and two males and female were seen at the Dragonfly Pool acrobatically feeding on phragmites seed heads over hanging the ice bound ditch.  They looked especially orange in the wonderful sunshine.

Stonechats were dotted about including a very showy male from the Butts hide and we even saw a Cetti's Warbler trying to work out what to do with a very large Bluebottle that it had found. Reed Buntings flicked in the reeds and small flocks of Goldfinch and Linnet were searching the banks for seeds.

Three Water Rails were heard squealing from the Northern Trail but we could not find one and a couple of Little Grebe were still to be found on Aveley Pool. I am still hopeful of a nice winter scarcity on this pool such as a Smew or Scaup....

Down on the river the vast flock of Canada Geese that has been living off of the Stone Barges and on the landfill were put to flight by a helicopter and all came onto the reserve and regardless of the species, there is nothing quite like the sight and sound of a large flying goose flock.

Dunlin, Curlew, Lapwing and Redshank were in the bay and both Black-tailed Godwits and Ruff were to be found with the vast Lapwing, Starling and duck flocks residing on the Target Pools. Duck number have gone up dramatically in recent days and are putting on quite a spectacle when spooked by the marauding Marsh Harriers of which four female and a male were seen while all the while the Peregrine watched from their usual pylon vantage points...

Can you find the Black-tailed Godwits in these two pictures?

A good mixed flock of duck on the Targets...

Back in the woodland Fieldfares, Redwings and even a Song Thrush or two showed very well and although we did not see our hand tame Robin, we did get close to another one.

This Song Thrush is even ringed... I wonder where it came from?

And I shall leave you with a spherical Robin....