What a difference a day makes...Increasing southerly wind and temperatures that felt a lot lower than yesterday resulted in a quarter of the footfall today but the change in wind direction did spice things up a little as we had hoped with six tiny little Sand Martins careening through with the wind up their tails during the day along with our first (albeit brief) Little Ringed Plovers - a trio of which stopped on the Butts Scrape for a short time.

Kestrels, Sparrowhawks and Marsh Harriers were getting a good buffeting from the intense gusts and the pale falcon once again appeared although this time it chose to try and take out the best bird of the day!  An adult Little Gull drifted in off the Thames at 0715 and headed for Aveley Pools where the falcon then spent the next few minutes trying fervently to take it out and have it for breakfast.  Just how the gull escaped I do not know but it soon decided that anywhere other than Rainham would be safer and spiralled up and away north into the gloom.

Kestrel - Fraser Simpson

The Spotted Redshank came in again with the remaining tidal Redshanks and six Curlew joined them on the Purfleet Scrape while several Lapwings could be seen sitting tight on nests nearby.  The Kingfishers were seen on and off and the pair of Little Grebes on the MDZ Pool were putting on a good show.

Kingfisher - Basil Thornton

Little Grebe - Tom Bell

Elsewhere on the reserve the Wild Families Nest Building event went very well with some superb creations appearing mysteriously in the woodland while the opening of the Boulders proved very popular with the visitors and most of the staff who managed to escape for a while to have a play. I was suitably impressed too, especially as I managed to get to the top and back down again without causing myself a mischief!

And Jen Blake being very Active in Nature....

26-3-16