Highlight of the last few days has been up to five Garganey on Pitsea Scrape. These small attractive ducks can be difficult to see as they like to hide amongst the reeds, but they do come out from time to time so keep your eyes peeled! Vange Marsh is still attracting excellent numbers of waders with peaks of over 200 Black-tailed Godwit. There are also regularly double figures of Redshank, Spotted Redshank and Greenshank, as well as smaller numbers of Dunlin, Curlew, Ruff, Snipe, Green Sandpiper and Common Sandpiper.
Elsewhere, the Southern Migrant Hawkers are still showing well on West Canvey Marsh, and there have been good views of Water Vole in the ditches around the dog walking loop, including a very cute youngster!
Today a grass snake paid us a visit, it was found behind one of the window shutters on our visitor centre. We moved it to a safer more appropriate place in our garden.
Thanks to Dave Gonning for taking the above images