It has been a busy post Easter week on the reserve so far with a typical mix of weather conditions that have a last allowed a few spring migrants to sneak into the country.

But we shall start with the long stayers first with the Great White Egret continuing to perform to all comers with a little patience. He seems to have forsaken the narrow ditch behind Purfleet Scrape and is now usually to be found in the ditch along the back of the incredibly flooded Target Pools from the Butts Hide.

Great White Egret - Tim Ballard

and one from me

Duck numbers have finally started to drop and the female Garganey that was first seen on Easter Sunday was seen again this afternoon. Lapwings are sitting pretty and there is so much encouraging Redshank activity.

The Look At Me Lapwing - Tony O'Brien

A number of Common Terns have been seen feeding on our section of the Thames this week with up to 30 some days along with the odd bouncy Arctic. One of the juvenile Iceland Gulls has been seen on three days and today was feeding in Aveley Bay with the other local big gulls while a Little Gull headed up river.

Iceland Gull - HTV

Med Gulls have been a daily delight too with ‘cowwing’ adults drifting down river. They are one of my favourite birds. I saw my first nearly 40 years ago in the Watership Down animated film -I knew even then it should have been a Black-headed Gull!

Med Gull - Dominic Mitchell

and a pair circling hundreds of feet up - Bob Cooper

The Short-eared Owls also reappeared and two performed well all afternoon on the 5th in their usual haunts that they have deserted all winter – all very odd.

Short-eared Owl - Ian Plume


and one by Paul Richardson

Marsh Harriers are constantly on view and have been continuing to delight the visitors with their aerial antics and have often been joined by the local Buzzards and even a fine Red Kite on Friday.

Marsh Harrier - Mark Vale

Bearded Tits have been showing very well occasionally with lots of high flying but this male posed nicely for Sue!

Male Bearded Tit - Sue Mountford

By this afternoon we had seen a few Swallows and the odd Sand Martin and Sedge, Reed and Willow Warbler had added themselves to the list along with several luminous Yellow Wagtails but there has still been a dearth of Wheatears.

Sedge Warbler - Paul Richardson

A little bit of warmth has brought out the butterflies with Brimstones, Small Torts and Peacocks being seen and there are certainly more Queen bees around now. Beeflies are zooming around an poking rostrums into the flowers of Coltsfoot and Slow and there were several Andrena type bees on the same flowers along with a little Nomad Bee called Nomada fabriciana that Jerry first saw on Thursday.

Brimstone - Mick Elliott


Small Tortoiseshell - Ken Bentley


Nomada fabriciana - Jerry Hoare


An Andrena species of bee that I think may be A. scotica


Bombylius major - the Bee Fly

Marsh Frogs began croaking today too and the odd Lizard was out loungng...

Marsh Frog - Ken Bentley

Howard Vaughan, Information Officer