Twenty one tick weekend.

Well, its been over a month since my last post, due to not much to post about, and a family holiday abroad (more on that later).

With most of the migrants in now, I was keen to get out and boost my patch year list.  Adding Swallow, Whitethroat, both Reed & sedge warblers, Wheatear, Hobby, Common Tern & Common sand on Friday afternoon.

Saturday morning while the family caught up on sleep - I caught up on Gropper and Sand Martin. With not much else doing I ditched the patch to twitch Tony Brown's stunning Wood Warbler on nearby Wanstead flats + stumbled on a cracking male Whinchat to help out my east London colleagues.

A Wanstead Whinchat

Saturday afternoon - back at Rainham adding Whimbrel (five of), Corn Bunting from the new path across the tip, and two Yellow wagtail on wennington.

Thanks to Shaunboy for putting me on a Red Kite on the east end of the tip.

This morning looked perfect for a river watch overcast, rain and a northerly.  Me and mo met up and after a couple of hours produced just 4 Arctic Tern! Still cant complain.

The woodland held both Willow Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, House Martin & Swift added over Purfleet scrape.

Star bird though went to a SHORT-EARED OWL picked up by phil over crayford marsh, viewed from the comfort of the balcony at the centre.

Cuckoo late evening was my final bird of the weekend.