With the breeding season well underway the birds a starting to quieten down a little bit, but good performances still being put on at all of the reserves. At Bowers Marsh corn buntings are in full voice and the skylarks are still flying high. Other visitors to Bowers this week have included 2 black winged stilts, seen on Monday and Tuesday but haven’t been seen since. Large numbers of (110+) black-tailed godwits were seen on the brackish lagoon towards the middle of the week. A few other rare and interesting visitors at Bowers this week have included a pectoral sandpiper, temminck's stint and a spoonbill! Conditions on site are looking really great at the moment with lots of foraging habitat to draw the waders in. Probably the reason for so many godwits and the rarities that have been visiting. The dragonflies are about too with plenty of sightings of broad bodied chasers.
At West Canvey Marsh and Canvey Wick cuckoos are still being heard around the site as well as a lesser whitethroat. The water voles at West Canvey have also been putting in appearances along with adders and common lizards.
We have generously been bequeathed some bird diaries from a local birder. This is his entry from Saturday 25th May 1968
“Bright at first, rain later continuous. Visited One Tree Hill. Obs. 2/3 pairs Turtle Dove, 2/3 Blackcap, 2/3 Chiffchaff, 1 Coal tit singing ‘didyou’ pattern, 3 Yellowhammers, 5 Jays, 1 Song Thrush , 1 Long tailed tit, 3 Chaffinch, 1 poss. Garden Warbler, 3 Willow Warblers, 2 Jackdaws, 10 Magpies in gathering . 2 Tree-Sparrow.”