Empidonax Fly

Well we will have to probably wait a while till we find out the true identification of this bird, but what a Cracker, and full credit to all who braved the long slog up to Blakeney Point, we set off from London at 4am and not long after six we were at Cley beach car park in a gale force northerly wind along with forty car loads of other nutters willing to do the honours for all those waiting on news in there comfy homes !!

At 07:30 we arrive at the Plantation, and had to wait another three quarters of an hour before one of our group spotted the bird, and then the next hour was spent trying actually to get an half decent view, with a Little Bunting putting in a brief performance for all.

pics of probable long tails comments welcome??

these two flew along the point (sorry heavily cropped)

After great views we leave the point and head back adding all four Skua's and a Red-necked grebe plus great northen and red thoated divers.

Common Gull

juv Gannet

Im Rainham im Raven.....

After working the foreshore with little luck i head towards the viewing mound and find a group of Jackdaw mobbing what at first appears to be a raptor, raising my bins i am then in almost disbelief in discovering it was a Bloody Raven!!! I quickly rung Jono who is at the centre to raise alarm but the bird quickly disappears north over the A13 before anyone could pick it up, though the bird did appear to drop over aveley tip.



This surely must be the bird seen over the reserve last week, so lets hope it lingers for all to see.


Elsewhere there was little to report bar a juvy Marsh Harrier, 3 Winchat and 4 Stonechat.


Rainham Yearlist: 143 Goldcrest (from last weekend)
144 Raven (Rainham and London tick)

Wanstead Wryneck

Managed a couple of record shots of the Wryneck on the flats this afternoon which has been there several days now, always a cracking bird to see, especially in London.

Barking Bay

An afternoon stroll around the bay produces 25+ Black Tern around the Cross ness out-fall, also 6 Wheatear and most suprising a Spotted Flycatcher in scrub on the eastern side of the old ash mound.

Holme dunes

North Norfolk was today's trip, Shaunboy and myself travel to Holme on news that the Arctic Warbler still showing now for its sixth day. Shaunboy offers to drive which is almost as rare as Arctic warbler itself (lol), we leave at 09:30 and arrive at midday.

What a Cracking site, in over twenty years of birding I believe it is my first visit to Holme dunes, probably due to the £3 entry per person to park in a flooded sandy lay by!! We walk through the dunes to the Pine Plantation, a crowd of sixty plus people gather in which we find is its favorite haunt, by the sea watching hide. After a nervous two and a half hour wait we get our bird showing quite well amongst the tall pines, occasionally coming down lower. Both Shaunboy and myself agree that the bird was quite long in size and bill shape with pale underparts and a cracking long supercilium.

With satisfactory views we head back to the car and jam in on a Lap Bunt flying through the dunes calling with a small party of Linnets. On the way out we pop into Radwell Marsh where we was robbed again of another £3 to sit in a small box to view a stunning Red-necked phal.

£3 (what a liberty)

Patch Update

Smashed Rainham for the second morning on the trot and was rewarded with two Sandwich terns up river at 07:20, having missed the big numbers recently up the Thames was pleased to catch up with these.

Also in Aveley bay were several Yellow legged gulls, 4 Knot, 40+ Dunlin, 20+ Ringed Plover and a couple of Greenshank, a party of six Black Terns flew east at 10:30.

passerines included a dozen Yellow Wag, Winchat and 3 Lesser Whitethroat of note.

Rainham Yearlist: 142 Sandwich Tern.

This morning at Rainham

Aveley Bay was pretty productive this morning with a Curlew Sand flying thru calling at 07:20 as well as a flock of Dunlin that held 3 Knot, 2 Ringed Plover and a Green Sandpiper were also seen and a Whimbrel heard.

A dozen Yellow Wags and a Tree Pipit were over-head migrants, Two Winchat were opposite the Car-park and a probable Honey Buzzard was seen flying away south but was to late to clinch!!

Dave Mo finds a Bearded Tit by the new turnstile.

Dunlin and Knot

Grey seal yawning..........

This Black-necked grebe was at Fairlop country park on the main boating lake.

Rainham Yearlist: 140 Curlew Sandpiper, 141 Bearded Tit.