Stilt hunting was the order of the morning and with so many knocking around north Kent, Sussex and south Essex there just had to be a chance of one on our lovely marsh today. I was down at the end of Aveley Bay by just after seven and it was already warn and hazy. The river was even calmer than yesterday and the flotsam strewn mud of the bay was home to very little but to my delight those waders present were crackers with two spangly silver and white Sanderling with two black bellied Dunlin and a single trilling Whimbrel that quickly headed off across the river. Not a bad start at all despite the lack of Black-winged Stilts!
Several Common Terns picked at the surface but there was nothing else out there. Two Egyptian Geese were the next surprise as they headed west over the tip and a good look around where the Whinchat was yesterday revealed no chats whatsoever. I did see a Wheatear down on the foreshore though but nothing new seemed to have arrived overnight. The Cowslips have spread in recent years and I found several good clumps alongside the path.
Cowslips
Wheatear (Mark Vale)
The Gorse Linnet Clan were in fine fettle and I have worked out that the constant Magpie presence is seemingly nest related rather than predatory.
I actually got to take the Wednesday Walk around today in the absence of Sam and a most agreeable couple of hours was spent with Nick and Norma. The woodland was alive with Blackcap song and the first Orange Tip butterflies flitted among the commoner species while the Bee Flies once again proved entertaining. You still cannot beat a good singing Willow Warbler though!
As we were watching the pair of Garganey on the Bog Wood Pool I got a call from Denis to say that a Red Kite had just gone over the Cordite. We looked up and around but it took a few minutes to find this floppy flyer. Jo Collins even managed to get a shot as it passed overhead.
Still lurking
Red Kite (Jo Collins)
A quick scout round in the warming air quickly produced four local Buzzards engaging in some half hearted display above the pylons and before the end of the walk I had found another five but these were high and quite likely migrants. Kestrels were much in evidence with much more activity that normal and it is tempting to say that these too were on the move. A male Peregrine joined a Buzzard and the first (and early) Hobby of the year was out hawking insects over Wennington which was a welcome sight.
Buzzards by me and Mark Vale
A dead Water Shrew was found on the trail. This is a very under recorded species on the reserve and it never ceases to surprise me just how plump these little carnivores are. I turned him over and discovered that his little body had fly eggs already attached and it will not be long before it starts to be recycled. I was actually hoping for a Carrion Beetle but alas no...
The odd Sand Martin and Swallow went through and baby Lapwings were reported at two spots now along with three Greenshank , Green Sandpiper, LRP and Avocet. Bearded Tits were seen carrying nest material at the usual locations and the Kingfishers showed very well for several people during the day. Norma and I (now minus Nick) headed towards the Turnstile Bridge and upon Norma’s request two individual Water Voles were seen in the Perimeter Ditch.
Back at the Centre there were now two Whimbrels out on Purfleet Scrape and another group of three Kestrels drifted through followed by three more Buzzards. Meanwhile the outside of the building and the sunny side of every single wooden structure was quite literally covered in tens of thousands of flies. All were Musca autumnalis and are quite harmless and although it may look quite threatening and cause you to wonder where the corpse is stashed they are merely worshiping the glorious rays of Sol to give them the energy to get out and enjoy their day searching for something to padulate.....
Two more days till my holiday... not that I am counting....
15-4-15