Rainham Marshes

Arrived at the visitor center car park this morning by 7.30am and decided to go all the way to the Stone Barges.

A mixed Goldfinch & Greenfinch flock got me started shortly followed by 4 Rock Pipits and mixed gulls steadily headed towards the tip.

As i arrived at Aveley Bay i could yet again make out more than just Gulls at the far end; this end were two Curlew.

Getting to the far end where about 85 Black Tailed Godwit, 4 Cormorant and mixed gulls. I bumped into John Richardson who was also watching the Godwit. 85 is my largest group of these birds so i was pleased; John then mentioned that if i had been there about half hour before the number easily totalled 350 plus and they had, in groups been making there way up river toward London.

I counted about 36 Redshank dotted between Aveley Bay and the Stone Barges; Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Goldfinches, Greenfinches all to be seen on the landfill side.

Upon reaching the barges i started a search for a Water Pipit. Although one was seen yesterday i had been intending on coming up here for a bit and had been in conatct with David Darrell-Lambert for some assistance in the differences between Rock & Water Pipits. He kindly added some photographs and guidence notes on his blog for me and sent me some decent texts. No joy for me though, a couple of Rock Pipits in the same area.

Lee's Local Birding

On the way back much of the same however i did manage to get a patch tick with a solitary Brent Goose.