A fantastic day on the reserve.... strange the things you do on your day off.... Need some sleep so a simple list should whet your appetite....
Spotted Crake, Water Rail, 2 Wood Sandpipers, 8 Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, 3 Whimbrel, 2 Oystercatcher, 6 Dunlin, 5 Little Ringed Plovers, Ringed Plover, 120 Lapwing, 4 Snipe, 8 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Hobby, juv Marsh Harrier, 5 Garganey, 2 Wigeon, new brood Tufted Duck, 2 Whinchat, Wheatear, 800 Starling, 8 Little Egret, Bearded Tit ......
It was great to catch up with the Spotted Crake at last and despite the heavy rain raisign water levels on Aveley Pool again, the bird was seen on and off all day from the first platform with a Water Rail for company....
There were a few waders and three Garganey on Aveley Pool but it was the newly mown Purfleet Scrape that was going great guns this afternoon with ten species of wader visible along with another two stripy Garganey, a Wheatear, two Whinchat and numerous hirundines and swooping Swifts....
11-8-14