Today feels like as good a time as any to resurface my blog. I have honestly been struggling a bit in the recent lockdown with monotonous grey drizzly weather, coinciding with a lull in the birding with nothing really changing (Winds from anything accept the South aren’t particularly great at this time of year). However, having said that being able to go to the Totteridge Valley everyday has led to me being able to see the subtle changes in the seasons with movements of birds becoming more and more visible as the spring slowly springs to life. Today was the first sunny day in a little while and so I decided that this would be as good a day as any to return to my volunteering at RSPB Rainham Marshes after another lockdown apart. I arrived at the Aveley Bay car park before 7am to the sound of Spring. Honestly, I have never felt so much joy in my life. I haven’t experienced a spring day here since at least 2018 due to Uni and Covid. So, it was simply magical. Skylarks singing from miles high, Meadow Pipits parachuting, all while Redshank and Lapwing busily fended off intruders from their territory. Aveley Bay had a good number of Teal and Shelduck along with 6 Avocet and a Curlew. So, I decided to head along the river to the Stone Barges checking the Gulls as I went. Out of the 4 Colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls that I saw only 2PXN was legible. It’s always fascinating to see where they are from and where they have been seen since they were ringed. It puts into context the birds that we see. In winter most of the re-sightings come from Northern and Eastern parts of Europe, whereas most birds at this time of year should be the British breeders with the exception of some passage migrants that have wintered further south. An Egyptian Goose and a late Rock Pipit were the only thing of note. But honestly just being able to hear the song coming from the side of the tip was enough. Above: Black-headed Gull 2XPN (Ringed as an adult on 12th March 2016 on the Tip at Pitsea. It had not been seen since until today! This makes it at least 8 years old.) Below: Skylark Above: Linnet Below: Egyptian Goose Above: Dunnock Below: Oystercatcher The Stone Barges itself were quite quiet with a few Redshank, Gadwall and Wigeon, alongside a pair of Oystercatcher, my first of the year. The area behind the barges lacked the winter Stonechats that had been along this area and were yet to be replaced with the sight of Wheatears. It surely won’t be long now until they finally return. I then headed down the entrance road to the Stone Barges and along the inside track to complete the circuit. The sound of Wrens, Robins, Dunnocks, Cetti’s Warblers and Chiffchaff filled the air. Or at least they did in between the rumble of Lorries heading onto the now open tip. The only Redwing of the day passed over head as flocks of Jackdaw, Carrion Crow and Rook headed onto the tip to feed. Onto the Serin Mound and the water levels were still extremely high even though I am told they were much higher just a few weeks ago. But good water levels means that there are still a good number of ducks to be seen. Shelduck, Shoveler, Teal, Wigeon and Gadwall were seen in good number alongside the usual Greylag and Canada Geese. Lapwings tumbled and turned making their Pewit call and Redshanks were seemingly everywhere. All while a Red Kite drifted lazily over my head with a Peregrine circling nearby. Above: Peregrine I had a quick walk over the mound to double check that I hadn’t missed any wheatear before heading round to the visitor centre to sign in. It was good to be back and after a quick catch up I headed out onto the reserve. Purfleet Scrape was first with 3 Avocet, an Oystercatcher, large numbers of Snipe and very good numbers of Pintail for mid-March. The Avocet were most interesting as, for what I think will be the third year in a row, it looks like they will be breeding again. The pair were courting and what I presume was the female was clearing an area from one of the islands and shuffling about as if it were a nest. Not long before they lay, I should think. Above: Curlew Moving on I headed along the boardwalk towards the MDZ. Along the way several Curlew Passed over head, and plenty of Snipe were seen on the path side pools. An interesting bird that puzzled me turned out to be a sleepy Bar-tailed Godwit. Presumably the same bird that I found at the beginning of the winter. From the MDZ the first Lapwing nests could be seen with their over protective parents chasing everything in sight, from other Lapwing to Marsh Harriers. Redshank were busy disputing and chasing each other around as territories still need sorting out for them ahead of their first nests being laid. Above: Bar-tailed Godwit with sleeping Wigeon Below: Spot the Lapwing on her nest By the time I had reached the Turnstile bridge I could hear Bearded Tits pinging away from the nearby reeds. A Peregrine soared over head. I then picked up what I assumed was a spiralling and tumbling flock of Gulls, but to my surprise it was infact a group of 7 displaying Marsh Harriers. It was incredible to watch them tumbling and turning giving spectacular views. While all this was happening, I noticed that a pair of Mute Swan had snuck up on me. To my surprise the female was bearing an orange colour ring. It will be interesting to see where this bird is from as it could have travelled some distance, which is quite unusual for Mute Swans. Back up to the Marsh Harrier battles and a local buzzard took up the opportunity to join in with the action, mobbing one of the adult Males. Above: This is 4COF who was ringed as an adult in March 2017 at Harrow Lodge Lake in Hornchurch which is 6 miles away from Rainham Marshes where it has been ever since it was first re-sighted back in March 2018. Below: Marsh Harrier Battles Above: Common Buzzard Onto Target Pools and here it was relatively quiet but with plenty of Little Egret and even more Pintail. Infact Shoveler numbers were also surprisingly good. A Water Pipit called as it dropped onto the pool as a flock of Bearded Tit moved through the nearby reedbed disturbing a Water Rail that wailed. Aveley Pools held my first Pochard of the day as well as plenty of returning Tufted Duck ready for the new breeding season. Little Grebes also called from the edges but remained unseen as the Song of Cetti’s Warblers erupted from the Reedbeds. Heading down to the woodland my eyes were drawn downwards to a familiar croaking noise. The sound of summers gone by. The Marsh Frogs were back and oh so tiny. It was good to see they were back. Above: Marsh Frogs The Woodland was full of the song of Chiffchaff, Chaffinch, Robins and Water Rails which was good to hear. In fact, some of those Chiffchaffs were really quite bold hawking insects just centimetres from me as I walked through. Lunch was had at the end of the ramp over looking the reserve in the search of more raptors. I was eventually rewarded with my second Red Kite of the day drifting through from Over the Woodland before crossing the reserve and disappearing over Wennington. 3 Dunlin dropped onto Purfleet Scrape as the Bar-tailed Godwit resurfaced. A Raven passed over head towards the car park with what looks like a full crop, suggesting a nesting pair nearby. Above: Red Kite Below: Raven I had just packed up from lunch and headed down to the visitor centre when a text from Pat sent me rushing back to the Lunch spot as a Spoonbill had dropped in on the rising tide. It was a tiny bit distant but a welcome sight after the difficulty of seeing last years bird here. To my surprise the next birder to appear was Frank someone I haven’t seen for 3 or 4 years. Interesting to learn that he was in a similar situation to me having not been able to complete a sandwich year on his degree. Good to learn that there are others in the same boat. We then headed round the reserve bumping into Pat, thanking him for the Spoonbill only for it to fly right past us as we headed round to the Target Pools. A female Stonechat was new for the day list and two Dunlin were new in. Another two Buzzard, a Sparrowhawk and a Kestrel were new for the growing raptor list as well! Above: Spoonbill Below: Avocet with a supporting cast of Shoveler, Gadwall, Pintail and a Coot Heading round to the woodland where a Greenfinch added itself to the list and some careful listening revealed two singing Blackcaps. As we headed round back to the lunch spot for the final time, I was convinced that I could hear Med Gulls, but just couldn’t see them. After predicting it all day that there would be some at high tide Frank eventually picked them out in and amongst a flock of Black-headed Gulls before eventually they took to the sky and headed east into the darkening sky. Honestly it was incredible to be back. What a day with 79sp seen and plenty more to come in the coming weeks. Oh, how I have missed Spring! Above: Record Shots of the Med Gulls as they departed East
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