Rainham Marshes - Kingfisher & Wheatear

 I arrived at Rainham Marshes this morning around 8.10am just as the rain started on and off. I managed to get along the sea wall to Aveley Bay and back to thye center without getting to wet.

A nice female Wheatear on the footpath by Aveley Bay was showing well for a few minutes flitting off and on showing its white rump.

Upon entering the reserve center i was shown the huge Hawk Moth that had been caught that morning with a view to being moved for safety reasons as it was in the middle of a pathway. For more on that see the blog on the right side bar for Dave Mo.

By the time i got into the Woodland area the rain started, although light, to come down continuously. A mid paced walk revealed a resonable number of species although a disapointing stop in both the Barretts & Butts Hides.

I stopped at the Marshland Discovery Zone for a lookout for Kingfishers. I have until today only had a brief glimpse of one back in February this year, so with the now heavy rain and time on my hands due to the pace of my circuit i settled in.

After half hour or so; which with only a Coot for company; felt like an eternity; a flash of blue from left to right........gone. Another 10 minutes with my best mate the Coot and there it went again. If i was going to get a better view i was going to have to cut the Coot loose. Finally the Kingfisher came in from the left again and although it didnt stop, i managed to stay on it until it went out of view.

Todays birding; Great Spotted Woodpecker, Blackbird, Linet, Wren, Willow Warbler, (heard) Chiffcaff, (heard) Cukoo, (heard) Cettis Warbler, Blue / Great Tits, Song Thrush, Greenfinch, Collard Dove, Woodpigeon, Coot, Moorhen, Sedge Warbler, Black Headed Gull, Shelduck, Cormorant, Carrion Crow, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Mute Swan, Grey Heron, Whitethroat, Herring Gull, Wheatear, Mallard, Gadwall, Kingfisher, Canada Goose, Reed Bunting, Jackdaw, Starling, House Martin, Sand Martin, Swift, Little Grebe,