To say that 2011 got off to a flying start would not be an exaggeration... I wanted to update during the day but although we were not as busy as January 1st last year we were still on the go all day. The birding early on was exceptional even by our recent standards and started with a Woodcock in the carpark followed by the sounds of the local avifauna waking up including Curlews, Redshanks, all the regular thrushes, Kingfisher, gulls, duck and more Robins that you could shake the proverbial stick at!
At just before 8am a Snow Bunting bimbled past the visitor center calling merrily and Skylarks called in the revealing light. More was to follow with a small goose out on Purfleet Scrape revealing itself to be a first-winter European White-fronted Goose with a flock of Canadas. It quickly defected to some Greylags when they came in and they all left soon after. A quick call from one of our first visitors then put us all onto a juvenile Whooper Swan that headed north calling merrily while at the western end of the site three adult Bewick's Swans went west about ten minutes later before being seen over Barking Bay shortly afterwards!
The Bewick's on their way (Paul Hawkins)
But that was not the end of it as a call from Kev on the south side of the Thames alerted us to 60 Pink-footed Geese in a classic skein heading north! Could there be anything else?? A young male Hen Harrier (but still a brown ringtail) was next up and we were able to scope this from the center as it hunted firstly Wennington and then appeared right in front over the cordite woodland with crows on its tail! Magnificent! A male Merlin was perched up in a bush out on the marsh and the Peregrine was on her usual pylon. Water and Rock Pipits were on the foreshore and all the usual waders from recent days including Grey and Golden Plover, Ruff and Avocet were duly added to the list.
The three Barnacle Geese that were not around yesterday were on the river for a while before relocating to the marsh for the day while Corn Buntings and Yellowhammers were still to be found. Water Rails and the Bearded Tits showed well on the trails and two lucky buggers saw a single Waxwing in the woodland.
To round things off nicely a fine male Brambling joined the Chaffinches around the feeders for the last hour of light taking us to an impressive 95 species.
I am now off till Wednesday but will hopefully be able to update you with any news!
oh and still ignore the banner saying open till 3pm.... normal 4.30pm hours are still operational