With glorious sunshine and temperatures in the high twenties this weekend, sky-watching came up trumps!

Late morning on Sunday a red kite was picked up heading west over RSPB West Canvey Marsh. While 15 minutes later at Wat Tyler Country Park, while looking for the kite a honey buzzard flew in from Holehaven Creek, Canvey direction and headed straight out across RSPB Vange Wick in a north westerly direction. This more…

Our blue tit chicks are now 18 days old, they now look just like their parents. Blue tits tend to fledge and leave their nestbox between 18-21 days after hatching. Our blue tit parents have worked so hard raising eleven, I'll repeat that ELEVEN hungry chicks!

Come along to the RSPB visitor centre at Wat Tyler Country Park, the centre is open daily 10 am - 5 pm and see the growing family live on our TV screens. Who…

A taste of the Mediterranean at RSPB West Canvey Marsh today, with warm sunshine and a woodchat shrike. The shrike was found mid morning by a couple visiting this new RSPB reserve, and identified late morning by RSPB staff.  Woodchat shrike is an annual vagrant to the UK, this striking bird will perch prominently on top of hedges, trees and fences regularly dropping to the ground to feed. It's prey is mainly insects, beetles…

A week of chilly winds from the north has slowed migration, there does look to be a window of opportunity on Thursday and Friday with light winds predicted to have a southerly orgin. This could be the chance some of our returning summer migrants are waiting for.

A spotted flycatcher however did make it through to Wesy Canvey Marsh yesterday, where the male cuckoo continues to call. A caspian gull and mediterranean gull

Both blue-tailed and large red damselflies were seen at Wat Tyler Country Park yesterday, along with orange-tip, speckled wood, peacock and brimstone butterflies. The male cuckoo and two or three turtle doves can be heard around the park  and a hobby flew over heading west early afternoon. From the marina overlooking the creek and Vange Wick a cracking male yellowhammer was seen this morning and our first whimbrel this …

At 2.30 this afternoon our first blue tit egg hatched. Come along to the RSPB Visitor Centre at Wat Tyler Country Park and see live footage on our TV screens. This is an unmissable opportunity to witness the secrets of new life arriving inside a blue tit's nestbox.

New arrival photo by David Lee

A wet weekend with strongs winds particularly on the Sunday, didn't stop some people from getting out, and there was plenty to see!

Common terns were seen fishing along the fleet at Wat Tyler Country Park and two turtle doves were 'purring' away near the motorboat museum hide. From the perimeter path a nightingale could be heard singing on the former county tip. Whitethroats and blackcaps have increased in…