Patch Update ( im not bitter !)

A fine Ortolan (found by A.T) was a Rainham briefly this afternoon and was only seen by the Unemployed or if you happen to be off skiving!!! anyway not gonna keep on rambling on about it well done to all you that saw it!! :)

A late evening search did produce two year tics for me, 2 or more Spotted Fly's and a Tree Pipit flushed from the Cordite with the help of little Jack.

Rainham Yearlist: 138 Spotted fly, 139 Tree pipit.

Vange Marsh

This newly acquainted RSPB reserve has already pulled in some great birds over the last couple of years and today's was an juvenile Red- Necked Phalarope which showed well but distantly.

With a supporting cast of Little Stint, imm Spoonbill and 18 Spotted Redshank the scrape looks superb, and am sure it will not be the last visit this autumn.

immature spoonbill

Well Choughed !

Me Jono and Bradders just arrive back from a superb weekend's Sea-watching from Porthgwarra, Cornwall.

With low pressure bruing inn from the Atlantic we timed it bang on for Friday where the following counts were made:

4 Great Shearwater, 11 Sooty Shearwater, 111 Balearic Shear, 108 Manx Shear, 15 Bonxie, 2 Arctic Skua, 153 Kittiwake, 12 Common Scoter, 5 Storm Petrel's, 3 Little Gull, Arctic Tern, 2 Common Tern, 2 Sandwich Tern, 100's Gannet's, 3 Whimbrel ........not a bad haul.

And a similar count on Saturday with just one Great shear seen.

These Two Chough were seen both day's, and were this years juv's from the Lizard.

North Norfolk

With a promising weather forecast and a scattering of scarce migrants yesterday brought me Jono and Bradders to Norfolk, with a brisk north-east blow looked ideal for a sea watch but didn't really happen, probably as the weather was to nice and clear and not the overcast conditions we were hoping for.

Anyway we smashed Blakeney Point with little joy bar a couple of flight views of an elusive Icky and a single Winchat, 2 Willow Warbler and a chiffchaff.

The sea did provide double figure Arctic Skua's and a few Bonxie's and a single Black Tern.

A visit to Wells woods produced 6 Pied fly's as consolation.

Rossi's back in town.

Now back for his 12th Year rossi the Ring-billed Gull returns to Southend sea-front, always a pleasure to see him!

also several Med Gulls.

Turnstone's and Moths

3 adult Turnstones in Aveley bay mid morning was a new year tick for me at rainham today, also 3 Ruff, 2 Whimbrel, 5 Common Sand, 2 Green Sand, 2 Oystercatcher and 8 Dunlin and a single Blackwit were noteworthy.

Walking around the reserve me and Jono find the first two wheatear of the Autumn and a couple of Water Vole.

Last Nights moth trapping was rewarded with the first Jersey tiger of the year as well as Elephant and poplar hawk moths

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Great Diving Beetle

Found this monster on the Northen boardwalk at rainham this evening.

Also on Aveley pools at high tide:

4 Whimbrel

2 Avocet

1 Black wit

4 Green Sandpiper

2 Common Sandpiper

1 Ruff

8 Dunlin

1 Greenshank

3 Snipe

6 Redshank

6 Little ringed plover

also 12 Little Egret, 5 Teal, 3 Shoveler, Wigeon and juv Marsh Harrier.