Sorry that there was no blog post last night but it has been a long Easter and I needed sleep!
Anyway, it was another superb day out on the marsh with sunshine (albeit smoggy) predominating. It started well with a female Red-breasted Merganser hunting tiddlers in Aveley Bay before hauling herself up on the seaweedy rocks for a preen while two Great Crested Grebes performed a weedless dance close by. The Sedge Warblers in the Enclosed Bay have warmed up now and were throwing everything into that crazy disco beat and a Whitethroat was scratching back down by Ferry Lane. As well as finding the Merganser, Dave Smith also saw one of our elusive Corn Buntings and a male Wheatear up on the landfill.
The Spoonbill showed very well all day on the Target Pools and had a few small fly rounds showing the black wing tips of immaturity and the Garganey remained faithful to the Bog Wood Pools and were usually the closest birds. Three Ruff and two Greenshank roamed around the pools and the Spotted Redshank headed out as the tide turned and the Curlew flock came in when it reversed...
The Cordite Woodland was full of song and a highlight for many visitors with Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and all the regular garden birds in full territorial mode while both the Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers were very vocal and showy. Two male Willow Warblers cascaded appropriately in the willows and Andrew picked up a male Ring Ouzel as it came out of the bushes at the end of the ramp and flew over the carpark which from my point of view made up for missing the one on Thursday.
Female and male Blackcaps (Bill Crooks)
Chiffchaff (Bill Crooks)
'Teacher Teacher!!!!' (Bill Crooks)
Cetti’s Warblers are doing even better than I thought and we are nearing the 50 singing male mark with at least 33 of them on the 2.4mile circuit (thanks to Dom) which by itself is one more than the whole site last year! Mild winters are good for something!
The Bearded Tits pinged merrily and our first Reed Warbler gurked by the MDZ where the Kingfisher action really hotted up and Tom suspects that she may now be incubating. Marsh Frogs and Grass Snakes once again did battle in the ditches.
After the sun warmed things up there were once again many butterflies on the wing and bees and hoverflies were congregating on the Sloe flowers.
Small Tortoiseshell (John Walsham)
Eristalis pertinax (Lawrence Rogers)
It is currently grey and gloomy here and a chill breeze is blowing but the birds are singing and hopefully the sun will prevail....
11-4-15