The last three days have been superb at Rainham with the horrible dank, wet conditions with an easterly breeze and low cloud driving some seabirds up the Thames for the first real occasion this autumn. Monday saw 68 Little Gulls all heading out of the river (probably after crossing over the country from the west coast) while a flock of 11 Great Skuas (I prefer to call them Bonxies - their Shetland name) circled up through the cloud. This is totally unprecedented within the London area.
Tuesday saw even more with five more Bonxies, four Little Gulls, 2 Scoter, a juvenile Gannet, 29 Brent Geese, juvenile Hen Harrier and two very late Black Terns...
So being that I was due back in today I expected there to be nothing but was delighted to find two Bonxies still loafing around with a third also seen later along with the two dapper little Black Terns that are even now, still dipping down after tiny fish. A Jack Snipe has been bobbing on Purfleet Scrape, three Wheatears, two Swallows, Chiffchaffs, Robins and Song Thrushes have been seen along the river wall and two Ring Ouzels dropped into the bushes along with about 30 Redwing.
So all in all not a bad start to any week.....
Mind boggling Black Tern shots from Russ Sherriff....
Loafing Bonxies.... again by Russ Sherriff....
Hopefully I shall have some footage from Pat Hart later....
15-10-14
Howard Vaughan, Information Officer