RSPB Rainham Marshes, Friday 14th to Thursday 20th April 2017:
This Easter will not be remembered for the weather and
although the rain largely kept at bay it was blooming freezing with a cold wind
that cut to the bone when sandals and shorts had been de rigueur just a few
days before hand.
I was working throughout the four day holiday but went in
early each day and managed to at least get a circuit in before work. Good
Friday was a dull and cool affair when I started my clockwise circuit.
The Grasshopper Warbler that was found by Jerry Hoare the previous day was still
reeling from the Southern Trail and Sedge and Reed Warblers and a couple of
Whitethroats were half heartedly in song.
 |
| Sedge Warbler |
The Shelduck seem to be
settling down into domestic life although the females did not look impressed
that the males were taking them to the Blue Oyster Club on top of the MDZ...
 |
| Shelduck in love |
A Wren was belting out his song from the old wall of the
Rifle Butts and the male Cetti’s Warbler at the end of the Dragonfly Pool even
decided that that the light was so bad it would not hurt to perch up for a little
longer.
 |
| Cetti's Warbler |
 |
| Rock Wren |
The Little Grebe was still on her nest right alongside and I
only lingered for a couple of seconds before moving on. She is a fearless
little creature.
 |
| Little Grebe |
The heavy grey weather front actually started to recede as I
reached the Target pool and three Willow Warblers were singing from the Sallows
as I approached but they were obviously newly arrived and swiftly moved off
north one by one.
Wigeon and Pintail were still to be found out on the pool
and a pair of Avocet were getting jiggy with it and starting the process of
duffing up every bird in sight. The pair of Little Ringed Plovers were wisely
keeping out of the way and several nesting Lapwings were sitting tight.
 |
| Avocet |
The male Marsh Harrier was on patrol but nothing seemed to
bothered by his presence and a couple of Sand Martins zipped around. The heavy front suddenly moved far enough east for the sun
to appear over the top, illuminating everything in a glorious glow but even
this only lasted for about forty minutes before cloud bubbled up the west and
the gloom returned for the rest of the day that I was to then spend on
reception.
Easter Saturday was busy again with the Grasshopper still
reeling away merrily but other than a few hirundines it was business as usual
birdwise. I did however have a very profitable escape into the sheltered and
sunny side of the car park where the scent of the Apple blossom drew me and a
host of insects in and I spent a wonderful half hour tracking 13 species of
hoverfly as they commuted between the soft plump Dandelions and heavenly
scented Apple blooms. Amongst them were the nationally scarce and very
tiny Neoascia interrupta, my first Leucozona lucorum of the year
and several Eristalinus sepulchralis with their spotty, half hairy
eyes.
 |
| Eristalinus sepulchralis |
The other species were Melanostoma scalare, Platycheirus
albimanus, Eupeodes luniger, Melisaeva auricollis, Episyrphus balteatus,
Epistrophe eligans,Syrphus ribesii, Rhingia campestris, Eristalis arbustorum,
Eristalinus sepulchralis, Helophilus pendulus.
 |
| Rhingia campestris |
Orange Tips battled with all three Whites, Peacocks and
Small Torts for the Dandelions and Bee Flies and several male Anthophora
plumipes frequented the Apple along with Early, Buff and White-tailed
Bumbles and several Andrena species including haemorrhoa, flavipes
and probably nitida.
 |
| Green-veined White |
 |
| Bee-fly |
 |
| Bee-fly |
 |
| Andrena haemorrhoa - male |
 |
| Andrena haemorrhoa - female |
 |
| Andrena nitida - I think |
Two Nomad bees were seen with numerous red flava-types
and a couple of large black and yellow Gooden’s. It was great being able
to show people so much in such a tiny area and on just two species of plant!
 |
| Nomada sp - most likely flava |
I was on site by 0630 on Easter Sunday to leisurely open the
hides with a male Greenfinch greeting me as I drove in blending nicely with
the verdant Bramble growth. Willow Warblers and Lesser Whitethroats were
singing in the Cordite and I had high hopes of a good walk.
 |
| Greenfinch |
It was actually very quiet with a Grey Heron bogging me from
the hand rail being the southern highlight.
 |
| Grey Heron |
A pair of Pochard were back on the Dragonfly Pool and a
Sedge Warbler showed very well as the light improved. A few Swallows and Sand
Martins flicked over Aveley and a White Wagtail was my first of the year here
but it was hard work with little warmth to encourage anything to show a bit of
spring vavavoom.
 |
| Pochard |
The Green Woodpecker pair were still vocal and seem to have
pushed the Great Spots back to Mar Dyke trees once again and the curious
‘ticking’ Chiffchaff that Max and I had last week was still calling in the
Cordite Store.
 |
| Green Woodpecker |
The rest of the day was a bit of a blur with a sum plum
Golden Plover and four Whimbrel catching the eye before the build up to the
Tall Ship flotilla that was heading out of the Thames from Greenwich in the
evening.
 |
| Whimbrel - Tom Bell |
It started getting really busy at about 4pm and by the time they
started to appear not long before seven there were over 300 people in our cafe
and on our river wall! The rain held off, the sun peaked through and a
great time was had by all but we did not finally lock up till just before 9pm!
Bank Holiday Monday was similarly bustling and my early
circuit duly added Bar-tailed Godwit to my Patchwork Challenge year list as it
fed in Aveley Bay while a lagging Tall Ship, the Artemis, steamed out behind
it. I found an uber-cute brood of Lapwings running around like little
dinky windup toys until Mum summoned them back to her warm breast feathers and
I believe five such clutches were found during the day although I suspect I was
getting a bit tired by then and everything got a little blurry!
 |
| Bar-tailed Godwit |
 |
| Artemis |
 |
| Micro Lapwings |
Tuesday was technically a rest day but I still ended up at
work for a cup of tea at the end of the ramp in the late afternoon where I was
joined by Alison Steadman and we talked about duck identification, John Cleese
and Gavin and Stacey...
 |
| I have always dismissed this as a non native here but now know that it is Burnet Rose... looks like a poached egg! |
Wednesday’s early stroll took me along the riverside from
the little car park. The tide had just started to recede and a surprising
selection of waders was on show with 22 Redshank, four Oystercatchers, two
Curlew, two Avocet, six Dunlin, a male Ruff, 27 Black-tailed and three
Bar-tailed Godwits present and frenetically feeding on the newly exposed mud.
 |
| Blackwits and single Barwit |
 |
| Ruff, Avocet, Redshank and Shelduck |
 |
| Zephyr |
 |
| Gallant |
 |
| Barwit - Dante Shepherd |
 |
Can you see the Barwit?
|
None of the Barwits was the bird from Monday and one of them
was ringed as was one of the Blackwits with several coloured leg
adornments. Rather oddly two more tall ships also past behind the godwits
as I was watching them just like on Monday!
 |
| A cracking Song Thrush anvil as I came through the turnstile |
A new Grasshopper Warbler sung from the Enclosed Bay and a
couple of Wheatears were using the wooden detritus as look outs. The Avocets
were out on the Target Pool again but were too busy giving two silvery
Greenshanks grief to continue with nuptials and the Little Ringed Plovers were
similarly trying to keep out of the way.. again. I could hear Water Shrews squabbling in
the ditch but as usual they eluded me.
 |
| Wheatear - Mark Vale |
 |
| Wheatear - Mark Vale |
The unexpected sunshine was a suitable backdrop to two
Hobbies that were careening about on sabre wings and were obviously catching
lots of aerial morsels which I suspect may have been St Mark’s Flies as there
had definitely been an emergence. They
were certainly giving the previously nonchalant Sand Martins something to think about and
one was not quick enough and was soon being plucked in mid air.
 |
| A male Orange Tip somehow taken with my phone... |
And so to this morning... it was cold and grey once again as
I headed out but the river wall was alive with warbler song including the showy
Gropper which Russ Sherriff so stunningly captured.
 |
| Grasshopper Warbler - Russ Sherriff |
 |
| Sedge Warbler |
As hoped there was a delicate Arctic Tern in the Bay and two
Common Terns were loafing off the point while the exposed mud only held five
Bar-tailed and no Black-tailed Godwits today. They are such smart birds in
breeding plumage.
 |
| Reed Bunting |
The Stonechat and Gropper were both singing still from the
Enclosed Bay and at long last a male Cuckoo started up and joined the Arctic
Tern on my Rainham yearlist. I eventually picked him up on an Elder where he sat
tail waving at the world. Seven Wheatears were dotted around the RDZ and a
single Willow Warbler seems to be on territory now.
 |
| Cuckoo |
 |
| Wheatear |
 |
| Wheatear |
 |
| War Wheatear |
The rest of the circuit was fairly quiet with nothing new in
but the pair of Marsh Harriers look to have chosen a nest site and I even saw
them mating which is great news. He certainly seemed very pleased with himself!
Just the one more day at work till I escape to Lesvos, so
hopefully I can find a Swift to finish up my month nicely!
Addendum.. no Swift on the Friday but I did add Black Tern to the list...
