Rainham 29th July

Three Marsh Harrier past thru this afternoon a female and two probable juv's all heading eastwards.

Several Yellow Wagtail and a single Wheatear were the first return birds for the site, and a small selection of waders, highlights were Whimbrel and Greenshank, with several Hobby hawking over the reserve.

Plenty of juvenile Whitethroat and Long-tailed tit along the sea wall.

Barking Bay 23rd July

Just back from the bay and a huge increase in Common Sandpiper with no fewer than 21 birds being seen feeding along the tide line, also 2 Ringed Plover accompanied by a single Little Ringed.

Still plenty of activity amongst the tern colony with many juveniles flying and a 3rd calender year Yellow-legged Gull.

ringed plover

little ringed plover

common sandpiper's

Autunm has arrived

Yes its here, officially started from now! met up with Phil and Andy on the sea wall at Rainham this afternoon with the first breeze from a northerly direction and paid dividends with 4 Black Terns (a fine adult and 3 juvs) heading up river mid afternoon on the rising tide, also several noisy juv Common Terns and an increase in waders with 2 Greenshank, 2 Black-wit, 22 Dunlin and 3 Whimbrel amongst usual Redshank, Lapwing, Curlew and Common Sand.

At least 3 Hobby hawking over aveley pools and a fine Whinchat which is by far my earliest returning bird.

Rainham Gropper

Walked the Sea wall at Rainham this afternoon some waders in aveley bay included 8 Redshank, 10 Black-Tailed Godwit and single Whimbrel and Dunlin.

A Hobby hawked over the resrerve and a Grasshopper Warbler showed well 300yds west of the visitor's centre.

apionid weevil

comma

Weekend Bits

Went to some local woods on Friday to catch up with Silver-Washed Fritillary, where up too three were seen, unfortunately to quick for the camera!

these common terns were a bit more obliging

Saturday went to Ripple NR between showers and found very little bird wise so took some pics of other wildlife and was surprised to find a wasp spider.

brown argus

field grasshopper


Rousel's grasshopper





short winged conehead



Wasp spider

Also a couple of Southern Hawkers.

This Large Emerald was well smart.

''Planking''

Even at the remotest part of the country the latest craze to sweep the nation reaches Cornwall where this giant snail takes part in ''Planking''.....move over crouchy......

Porthgwarra 9th July

Just got back from a day's seawatching with Bradders and the Monkey, with large movements of Cory's seen in the week we took a chance of finding our own.

Arriving at 05:30 we had drove from London over night so very tired but very excited, within five minutes we scored with a Cory's Shearwater that bradders picked up just beyond the Runnel stone, excellent start but it wasn't for another 8 hours that i picked up a second bird at a similar distance.

Well pleased we gave up at 16:00 as the weather got pretty warm and clear we headed for some well earned beverages!!

Days totals:

2 Cory's Shearwater
12 Sooty
12 Balearic
c500 Manx
12+ Storm Petrel
10+ Puffin
7 Pomarine Skua
5 Arctic
Bonxie
2 Med Gull (1ad, 1juv)
25+ Kittiwake
2 Raven
juv Great spotted Woodpecker
Basking Shark
c10 Common Dolphins

Left for home Sunday morning via Exeter and succesfuly located the 1st summer Bonaparte's Gull on the Exe estuary at Lympstone, cracking little bird and only my third in Britan but a lifer for the Monkey.

Hornchurch CP

Me and Jack visit the Ingrebourne Valley last night and help the locals find some birds, a single Greenshank and 6 Green sandpipers are seen from the viewing area and already Teal and Lapwing numbers are increasing, and a nice surprise of 3 juvenile Garganey that flew into view and fed amongst several Gadwall.

Also good numbers of Purple Hairstreak butterfly's on the wing.

Barking Bay (sunday morning)

A single Sandwich Tern was the highlight of sunday morning which flew down river at 07:15, nice day to go out with the camera for some random pics tho.

local thameside peregrine, this is a male

bigger female

comma

black tailed skimmer

brown argus

Roesel's bush cricket

shaggy inkcap (i think)