Beginners Luck !

No Ive not been on Fair Isle luring rare petrels, but on my ringing site catching a species that most ringers would give their right arm for a chance at (apparently).  The "Common" Cuckoo.  This is nowadays not so "common", so one that very conveniently flew into my miss net was very most welcome and was a great chance to see this species close and personnel.  Especially in East London.

The bird was a fresh juvenile and I'm fairly confident it wasn't bred on site.  Thus assuming this is a migrant bird, or i could be completely wrong as I did have a calling male earlier In the spring!!

Also added my first Goldfinch for the site, (a juv also).  Hopefully more of these to come in the Autumn/Winter season.

London Spoonbill(s)

Yesterday I popped along to RSPB Rainham where the two Spoonbill were present on the aveley pools, normal behaviour for these are to doze all day and feed early morning and evenings and they seem to do just that, with one getting up briefly to have a splash around before returning to normal posture.

Waders are now on the increase with up to three Greenshank present alongside a Green Sand and a Black-wit, in aveley bay three Whimbrel were feeding and were joined briefly by an adult Turnstone before flying north east.

Water Voles are all over the place and the site is living up to its name as being the best place in the country to catch up with this scarce rodent, the dragonfly pool held a juvy Water Rail and no fewer than 35 Yellow-legged gulls were present on the far side.

Phone-scoped waders

Yesterday I added my first patch year tick for over two months, it was a GREENSHANK and hopefully its the start of a fest of autumn waders.

Today several Yellow-Legged Gulls and a single Whimbrel being the best birds alongside the regular Ringed Plover and half a dozen Common Sands that have been around for about a week now.

The Common Terns seem to have had a good year with plenty of fledged birds feeding mid river.

The regular Oystercatcher pair have 3 young, lets hope they don't get predated like last year.

Marbled White

Early start on the patch before we all burn to bits in what feels like to be the hottest day of the year so far, had a search around the outfall in hope with catching up with last weeks Bonaparte's gull to no avail.

The Bay held up to 10 Common Sandpipers, these are to be my first returning birds of the autumn, a single Ringed Plover of note.

But star find came in the shape of my first MARBLED WHITE butterfly for the site and possibly the first site record of these species here.

6 spot burnet

79 not out

Just been checking my ringing totals for my site and from the end of April to last night it stands at 79 birds in just six sessions, not bad for such a small site, and with the number of re-traps you can count on one hand !!

Anyway Thirteen new birds last night including my first Greenfinch (juv) and a good number of juvenile Common Whitethroats the highlights.

Totals:

Common Whitethroat - 8 juv - 1ad
Reed Warbler - 1 ad
Greenfinch - 1 juv
Blackbird - ad fem
Dunnock - ad
Robin -1 juv

Bonaparte's returns ?

Yesterday Mike Robinson pics out a stunning adult BONAPARTE'S GULL at the crossness sewage outfall, surely one the the two returning first year birds of last year ??

This morning the bird was still showing superbly at the same location albeit a bit to distant for the camera but here are some heavily cropped pics from me.

middle bird

showing pale underwing

Southend Seafront

A family stroll out at Southend Seafront and managed to smuggle the camera along where the Med Gull numbers are starting to build up with at least a dozen adults and several 1st summers seen just between the stretch between Rossi's and the pier.

Ringing 6th July

Another 4am start ringing this morning produced 17 new birds and 2 re-traps with a nice selection including several Reed Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Wren, Robin and Dunnock

juv Robin 

Reed Warbler

juv wren (left) with adult.

Pochard Brood

A quick look around the mighty Masey this evening and plenty of ducks on second broods, but great to see Pochard again breeding on site and producing five young.

Little Grebe's at Rainham

An Evening stroll around Rainham RSPB today produced my first two Greenshank of the assuming returning passage alongside a single Curlew and the regular Little ringed plovers.

The little Grebe family are showing well from the MDZ (marshland discovery zone) and a further two pairs on eggs for there second brood.