Well that was quite a week...
As I posted on Tuesday, the week got off to a great start with the Spoonbills still swishing back and forth across the pools with crests blowing in the breeze while the Black-winged Stilt found that morning had gone by Wednesday morning but not before entertaining quite a few visitors. This was the fifth record for the reserve and the first since a pair in May 2017 that also stayed for just one day.
Spoonbill - HTV
Black-winged Stilt - HTV
The male Redstart also moved on but was our third this spring and the next day the first Swifts were noted along with two more low flying White Storks drifting across the reserve. Whether these are Knepp project birds is unclear.
Common Redstart - Andy Tweed
White Stork - April Goudie
The end of April is often the peak time for northbound wader passage and the persistent northerly wind did not seem to dampen their progress back to the high Arctic and Bar-tailed Godwits steadily increased with flocks being seen each day. I doubt that the birds linger for long and there were several counts of nearly fifty of these dapper waders which included many brick red males. Caught up with the same movements were singles of Sanderling and Knot and a sprinkling of Grey Plover, Whimbrel, Dunlin and Ringed Plover. Greenshanks, Common and Green Sandpipers and a smoky black Spotted Redshank all dropped. A single Jack Snipe was still bobbing around Africa Island and the two smart male Ruff (one black, one ginger) were joined by three females on Sunday afternoon.
Bar-tailed Godwits and a Knot (honest!) - HTV
Bar-tailed Godwit - Ben Rumsby
Bar-tailed Godwits - Steve Bacon
Whimbrel - HTV
Spotted Redshank - Paul Hawkins
Jack Snipe - Pete Merchant
All told 23 species of wader were seen across the reserve during the week.
Friday was a bright but cold day again but we got an inkling that it was going to be a ‘big day’ and by the end a whopping 101 species had been recorded including many of the aforementioned waders but the highlight was (well for me at least!) the invisible Bee-eater that called a few times above my head in the blue as I walked along the river wall. It was frustrating not to be able to see a bounding turquoise torpedo overhead but just hearing the ‘pruuk pruuk’ took me back to Mediterranean springs. This was my fourth Bee-eater for the reserve but I have only ever clapped eyes on one of them!
If we thought Friday was amazing then Saturday knocked it for six with a staggering 114 species recorded which is by far the best single day ever and considering we are 30 miles inland up the River Thames it is all the more astonishing. Dainty Little Gulls and Arctic and Common Terns dipped over the Thames, flocks of Med Gulls headed north, Hobbies dashed after clouds of Sand Martins and Swifts, sky dancing Marsh Harriers tussled with Red Kites and Yellow and Blue-headed Wagtails scurried around the hooves of the cattle.
Med Gulls - HTV
Red Kite - HTV
Hobby - HTV
There were more singing Whitethroats, Sedge, Reed and Cetti’s Warblers than you could through a proverbial stick at with a backing contingent of Blackcaps, rattling Lesser Whitethroats, Willow and Grasshopper Warbler.
Cetti's Warbler - Mark Laffling
Sedge warbler - Russ Sherriff
Common Whitethroat - HTV
Three Cuckoos were across the reserve and both British and Greenland race Wheatears and the first pair of Whinchats were seen with a pair of Stonechats on territory on Rainham West where 21 Fieldfare still lingered. There was even a Nightingale briefly in song – our first in nearly ten years.
Cuckoo - HTV
Greenland race Wheatear - HTV
Whinchat - Pete Merchant
White Storks were seen late on Saturday and early on Sunday and with a few extras new species added during yesterday with Grey Wagtail and Jay being the last two, we managed to reach 127 species in just one week!
White Stork on Saturday - Ben Rumsby and Malachi Taylor
White Stork on Sunday - Neville Smith
I know that it is not all about the numbers but it really was a remarkable week that showcased the sheer diversity of birdlife that calls our wonderful reserve home – even if it is just for a brief stopover on their way to distant breeding grounds.
Howard Vaughan, Information Officer
It's really good to see you, Howard - where've you been hiding?
Our herring gulls are red listed birds. Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.