It was generally another foul, nasty, wet day with very low cloud and often very poor visibility and as we hoped it was to prove a good decision to spend as much of the day as possible lurking on the balcony. Terns again featured and amongst the 223 Common Terns were two Sandwich, 20 Arctic, 17 Blacks and two very special terns. The first was a juvenile White Winged Black Tern that motored up river and amazingly about an hour later Andy Tweed picked up a strking tern with a small group of Commons. It was an adult Whiskered Tern in full plumage with its dusky belly, black cap, white cheeks and silvery wings. We managed to get a couple of others onto it before it too headed up the Thames. Frantic phone calls and unlike the first rarity, which was seen by Kev on the south side, it was not picked up by other river watchers further up stream. Never mind!

But it was not just terns today and we were treated by a substantial wader movement as well. Late August is not a traditional month for more than single Golden Plovers at Rainham but today we witnessed two flocks totalling 410 birds that swirled out of the low cloud in the company of a flock of 20 whistling Whimbrels. Twelve more Whimbrel made it our best day for this species ever!. I was sure that I could hear some Knot in amongst the Goldies but could not pick them out but we did find two later on feeding on the foreshore along with nine Greenshank, six Common Sandpipers, four Avocets, eight Dunlin and 29 Ringed Plover.


Avocets (Dave McGough)

Swallows, Martins and Yellow Wagtails were moving for most of the day and quite a flock of Goldfinch and Linnet were congregating around the centre and attracted both Hobby and Sparrowhawk.

Not in now till Wednesday (Gulp!) but will keep you updated on what is seen over the weekend.  Hopefully by the time I get home tonight (round Mum's for dinner!) I may have some photos to add!