Friday 29th april 2011

Cuckoos Displaying

Spent the morning at the Ingrebourne Valley and saw a pair of Cuckoos displaying,  also heard a Grasshopper Warbler annoyingly keeping me walking up and down trying to pinpoint it.   Later as I was leaving I was surprised by a Grey Partridge flying up in front of me then landing 50 yards away and running into the side of the path,  where I crept up and managed to get a very rough shot of it through the tall grass before it was off out of sight.   I eventually made it to Rainham marshes where on the round I saw a very high flying Red Kite and watched some Hobbys catching insects around the marsh.

Reed Warbler

Red Kite

Hobby

Hobby catches insect

Grey Partridge

RSPB Rainham Marshes Thurs 21st april 2011

Another sunny day and the RSPB site was once again blessed with those big and colourful Greenland Wheatears.   The target pools were alive with Gulls and some wildfowl accompanied by a couple of Greenshank and a pair of Little Ringed Plovers.   The Marsh Discovery Zone was very animated with a number of Redshanks and Lapwings displaying in the wetlands and grassy areas in front of it.   A lone Wood Sandpiper was feeding round the edge of the zone scrape with the Redshanks keeping an eye on it,  and round about at least 3 Little Egrets were stealthily hunting for whatever moves from under their treading feet. Along the riverside the Ring Ouzel was leading the searching birders a merry dance.

Wood Sandpiper

20th april 2011 Fingringhoe Wick.

What unusual hot sunny weather we are experiencing at the moment,  could this be the reason we are getting a seemingly increase of birds returning.   Plenty of Grasshopper warblers,  a good show of Cuckoos and everything else as well,  it is still april!    My trip to Fingringhoe Wick wasn't disappointing either.  The Nightingales were everywhere again, competing with each other nonstop with their mesmerising strong variegated melodious song,  what power!  Actually they drove me mad in the end I had to get away,   I jest.   Wonderful day, could have stayed longer.

Grass Snake

Green Hairstreak

Lesser Whitethroat with nesting material.

19th april 2011 Ingrebourne Valley

Whitethroat

Green Hairstreak

Egret and Juv Heron

Whitethroat

Wheatears arriving in numbers. 14th april 2011

Got to the top paddock at 4pm and saw 6 northern Wheatear feeding at the berwick glade end,  they gradually moved across the field and eventually flew off towards the farmers field.  Large and colourful birds.

Willow Warbler

Chiffchaff

Green Sandpiper

Blackcap

Two Tree Island 12th April 2011

Two Tree island,  Gropper, Greenfinch, Kestrel, Black-Tailed Godwits, Swallow, Linnet, Avocet.  Night Heron Flew away in the night.

Sky Dancing at Lakenheath Fen Fri 8th April 2011

 In  glorious weather the Marsh Harriers were giving a magnificent display of prenesting courtship with the males climbing to a great height then tumbling and twisting down,  then climbing again showing off and attracting the females to come and join them,  then practicing their food passing to be ready for the real thing.  Like everywhere at the moment the fen was alive with wildlife.   Sedge Warblers were contesting about the reeds and the Rooks were really going at it in the poplars.  Plenty of Butterflys including the Brimstone were on the air.  Stoats were hunting and we think we saw an Otter swim across a stretch of water.  The earliest they have had Golden Orioles is the 26th of april, so we have a few weeks to wait for those beautiful tantalising fowls. I shall return.