And so quite unlike yesterday, today was a brilliant bright blue sky day with fluffy clouds and although a little shower did come through it was this that brought down the best birds of the day when five Spoonbills descended in ever decreasing circles over Aveley Pool before settling down for a couple of hours.
top two by me and this one by Jacqueline Suttling - the three juveniles are on the left
This presumed family party of two adults and three youngsters did not stay too long and after a wash and brush up they headed strongly south and over the Thames but it was a special treat none the less...
I wonder if they came from the growing population breeding on the Norfolk coast now or perhaps from the Netherlands? None seemd to be colour ringed so we shall never know
Bye! - Steve Elwell
Howard Vaughan, Information Officer