What have you been missing??

Sorry for the absence... late nights and pc problems at home but now updating this from work on a glorious Monday afternoon.

Stuff last week...

• It was a busy first week of the sumer holidays and after visits from the police and fire brigade on Monday and Tuesday we managed to get a full suite of emergency services on Friday with an ambulance for a lady with bad asma... luckily she was ok!
• The Kate Doubleday gig on Thursday night was a great success and we had a beautiful evening to accompany her music within the Purfleet Hide. We stayed open to general visitors who were very greatful to have the reserve to themselves for an evening but alas the Barn Owl did nor repeat last weeks amazing fly by. Images to come!

• 
• Flocks of Linnets and Goldfinches are clubbing together and the first Wheatear and Yellow Wagtail were seen while the male Whinchat still lingered.
• After the excitement of Thuesday's fley through Red-footed Falcon, Honey Buzzard and male Marsh Harrier, we managed another three Marsh Harriers on Friday. Two Wood Sandpipers arrived on the Purfleet Scrape temporary pools and are still present with five Green Sandpipers today. A juvenile Cuckoo flew along the river wall and confused many visitors by its falcon like appearance.
• Diggers will be on the Purfleet Scrape tomorrow to start the first phase of the works to help bring the wildlife closer to the visitors by lowering the bund and removing the bank of soil just beyond the perimiter ditch. Needlesstosay  there will be quite a lot of disturbance and I doubet very ,uch that the Wood and Green Sandpipers will be hanging around much after 9am.  Sorry :o(

Juvenile Linnet (Tony Houston)

Whinchat (Nicole Bergum)