And please do not start whistling that Scorpions song from 1991.....
Cold fresh air from the north-east et voila!
After the early morning rain battering once again, it brightened into a blustery but chilly day and as hoped there were some new arrivals. Wigeon numbers have already crept up this week with about 600 now on the pools in gregarious whistling flocks and Dunlin likewise increased today to about 800. Other waders like Golden Plover, Lapwing and Curlew remain static but four Grey Plovers were also new arrivals.
A flock of Snipe flying around over high tide unusually contained a single Jack. Not sure I have seen one actually sticking with a Snipe flock before rather than dropping quickly into cover?
And so to the main event... three immature Red-breasted Mergansers were seen at about lunchtime by Phil and Andy but I was too busy gabbing to hear the radio. Les then found a superb pair of Goldeneye in Aveley Bay. I snuck out with the lads and managed some more phone scoping shots of this surprisingly scarce duck at Rainham.
A small Buzzard headed west purposely and the Marsh Harriers and Peregrines were as active as they have been of late.
(Les Harrison)
An interestingly marked bird.... (Bill Crooks)
At about 3pm I picked up two swans coming in over the centre.. they looked small and short necked and I shouted for weveryone to get onto them. They ' felt' like Bewick's and that is indeed what they were. They circled Aveley pools twice, almost landed and then headed for Aveley Bay where they spent the rest of the day. Just before sundown they had a fly around again before probably roosting on the reserve.
Bewick's Swans (HTV)
Beautiful shots by Les Harrison....
Wonder what tomorrow will hold???
21-11-13