Another fairly good day out on the marsh with thick fog early doors suggesting that if anything was moving through it may drop in for a visit if the weather cleared at all. And that is exactly what happened with a handful of Sand Martins in the first light gloom becoming 40 Swallows, 20 Sand Martins and three House Martins as the the sun broke through. One minute they were not there and the next they dropped out of the cloud base. Sedge Warblers went up to six and the two Reed Warblers, a Willow Warbler and now two Whitethroats were in song. The Garganey were seen several times and the Marsh Harrier once more flew through. Two Oystercatchers on the Purfleet Scrape were noteworthy first thing and nine Curlews were already roosting there when I arrived but there was no sign of the Greenshank seen last night.
All the visible Lapwing nests are still occupied and could be seen turning eggs today while the Mute Swan pair out front have settled on the sedgy area of the central bund although on one of their chase around today the male did mis-judge a turn, crash land on an island, bounce and end up in the fence. After a couple of seconds he got up and waddled looking very embarrassed towards the water for a wash and brush up. You could almost see him thinking 'Hope no one saw that!'
Building a nest one blade at a time.... oh and yes that is a Lapwing on her nest behind! (Chris Lowe)
Howard Vaughan, Information Officer