RSPB Rainham Marshes - 30th March 2021

Today was glorious with temperatures soon reaching well into double figures but it was actually only just above freezing when I set out along the river wall at 7.30 this morning and there was even frost in the car park.

I was greeted but three singing Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap in the car park which were quickly joined by a Willow Warbler and the half hearted mad scratching of a Sedge Warbler somewhere just onto the trails and despite still being in March it felt quite birdy and like most birders I hoped for more!

As it turned out the weather was basically too nice today and I suspect that many incoming migrants just kept on going and ended up way up country before encountering any weather likely to make them stop their journey.  The first very early local Cuckoo and Nightingale were seen today and a Redstart made another appearance so there was reason to be optimistic.

The wall was quiet with just a few Dunnocks and little groups of Linnets and I coule only muster up a Curlew and two Black-tailed Godwits on the foreshore but it was a lovely morning and I did not really care.

 

Curlew

Black-tailed Godwits

 

Down at the west end the Blackthorn and Gorse was full on finches and the regular Linnet and Goldfinch ‘colony’ was in full swing with pairs and singing birds at regular intervals.  The male Linnets are not quite sporting their red bikini tops yet but that has certainly not dampened their singing prowess.

Blackthorn

 

Linnet

Linnet

 

Goldfinch on Sea Buckthorn

Goldfinch

Robin

Skylarks and Meadow Pipits were singing up on the landfill but I could find no Wheatears in my brief search either there or out on Wennington which was covered in large Gulls and a good selection of duck and Lapwings.  The Marsh Harriers were already up and quartering the far side.

Gulls!

Meadow Pipit

Meadow Pipit

 

With time pressing I headed back passing a single Sand Martin on the way and a mass panic by all the duck and geese on Aveley gave me hopes of an incoming White-tailed Eagle but alas it was only Jamie out nice and early checking on the all important electric fence.

The rest of the day was spent outside the building greeting visitors with Linda but with occasional forays into the car park and beyond after insects for the most part.  Yesterday I saw my first Musca autumnalis on my Higham Marsh walk with a cluster on a warm car and predicted that today they would be all over the building (and everything else) at Rainham.  I was not wrong; there were thousands! 

Musca autumnalis

Musca autumnalis - all the boys

The Sallows eventually yielded what I was after with singles of Melangyna lasiophthalma and Cheilosia grossa and several Epistrophe eligans but only the later would let me get a couple of images which was frustrating. There were a few very small Bees but I also found a single female Andrena fulva and a few Andrena flavipes on there and the proliferation of highly scented Blackthorn flowers where Dark-edged Bee Flies also hovered.

female Epistrophe eligans

 

Yellow-legged Mining Bee - Andrena flavipes

Tawny Mining Bee - Andrena fulva

Dark-edged Bee Fly

Dark-edged Bee Fly

There were other Hoverflies here too including Meliscaeva auricoliis, both Eristalis pertinax and a couple of Eristalis tenax as well as quite a few Eristalinus sepulchralis on one particular clump with their hairy, spotty eyes.

Eristalinus sepulchralis

Eristalinus sepulchralis

Eristalis pertinax

Eristalis pertinax

 

Peacocks cruised around and often engaged in noisy wing clattering battles above me as they defended their chosen patch of blooms and gave short shrift to the Small Whites, Small Torts and glowing Brimstones also doing the rounds.

Peacock

Peacock

Peacock

Peacocks

 

Brimstome - probably hiding from the demented Peacocks!

A wall of white

Lunch around the woodland gave me some great views of singing Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps and a Magpie was obviously collecting some mud for the lining of its stick ball nest but would not fly off with its load until I looked the other way – such clever birds.

Blackcap

Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff

Magpie

 

Great Tit

A Kingfisher zipped through towards the Mardyke with a fish in its bill although I suspect it is too early to be feeding young and up above two Buzzards spiralled in the blueness.  

Common Buzzard

Common Buzzard

 

Horse Chestnut bud bursting

Daisies

First Harlequin Ladybird of the year

As I looped back round I could hear the Marsh Frogs proclaiming to one and all that it was warm enough for some croaking and seven pairs of Avocets seem to have taken a particular liking for one of the Purfleet Scrape islands and were already ensuring that the eight high tide Curlews did not even consider landing there!

Marsh Frog

 

Avocets

Curlews

Curlews

As people started to head for home the House Sparrows descended into the car park for an end of day dust bath and before too long we had left too, leaving them to their own devices. 

House Sparrows