RSPB Rainham Monday 26th jan

The peregrine wasn't having much success hunting round the marsh today,  plenty of tearing about most of the day filling the sky with waders and wildfowl but I suppose there is an air of inevitability in those hunts.   Good numbers of Dunlin, Lapwing and Golden Plover were moving around on the marsh with quite a few on the Purfleet scrape with just 1 Black-Tailed Godwit with a metal ring.   At the Butts end the Marsh Harriers were keeping those flocks very alert.    Thats one thing about having a vibrant raptor population you know whats about.

Wonder if it supposed to have rings on it's left leg?

Wallasea Island the in place Tuesday 13th jan

Russ and I drove towards Wallasea Island at 9.30 this morning in the pouring rain but with the promise from the weather men that things would turn out fine,  and it did.   We arrived in (glorious) sunshine and through the clouds of Corn Buntings we were greeted with a wonderful display by 2 Short-Eared Owls hunting around the fields eventually spiraling upwards together then disappearing in opposite directions.  After that we saw some Marsh Harriers and big flocks of Linnets, Lapwings, and Wood Pigeons.   We then had lunch and installed ourselves at the white gate and decided thats where we would spend the rest of the day,  a good position to see all round.   Sure enough after a small quiet period birds were going up in the distance and Yes!  there coming towards us was a large raptor every now and then hovering,  definately the Rough-legged Buzzard,   causing havoc as it moved towards us at a steady rate,  good views.    The shorties started hunting again as did Marshies and lots of Kestrels (happy to say).    We were just about to go because the rain seemed imminent,   when a Ringtail suddenly appeared,  then another,  we eventually had 2 Ringtails and a Marsh Harrier all in the same place,  wonderful sight and a satisfying day.

Rough-Legged Buzzard

Short-Eared Owl

Ringtails

Twitching the latest Celebrity

Slavonian Grebe  Wanstead Park

 "Hey"  just a minute"   "come back"

Birds around the Scrape late pm

3 Shelduck, 8 Shoveler, 40 Teal, 7 Mallard, 20 coot, 30 Moorhen, 3 Water Rail, 3 Snipe, Little Egret, 5 Heron, 3 Fieldfare, 10 Blackbirds, 8 Greenfinches, 30 Goldfinches, 35 Black-Headed Gulls, Common Gull, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, f Marsh Harrier,  Barn owl.

Hmm

We will see this scene again

But we might not see this scene again