OSPREY over the Ingrebourne Valley tuesday 8th april

There we were watching 16 Pochards from the viewing area with more arriving on the back scrape,  so we moved round over the black bridge to get a better view of them birds,  they were taking off then coming back with more arriving,  as I turned and looked up there was this bird about 100 feet up in bright sunshine, 8.15am,  I stared at it for a fraction of a second then screamed out "Osprey Russ, quick get a shot,  I had my camera in my backpack and was struggling to get it out while Russ was trying to take hand held photo's with the tripod swinging about in the air,  with more success than what we thought,  it was moving away steadily and actually turned and looked down at the scrape then continued on it's way North west,  finding out later that it had called in at Rainham which we had guessed and after passed through Wanstead.   Always have your camera ready!  Stunning bird.      Other birds at the Scrape; 3 Swallows,  Little-Ringed Plover,  5 Green Sandpipers,  20 Snipe,  3 pair Lapwing, Gadwall,  Little Grebe,   Kestrel, Teal,  Shoveler,  Cetti's,  Chiffchaff,  Willow Warbler,    Glades;    2 Willow Warblers,  Yellow Hammer,  Buzzard.

Photo's by Russ Sherriff

Looking down at the scrape