Rainham Marshes

Luckily for me the wife had been at the purchasing / reserving for Christmas; so with orders to head to Lakeside for 11am to start picking bits up while she stayed at home with the kids i mentioned that i was posative the traffic would be awful and that leaving earlier would be the best thing to do.

"yes, you can stop at Rainham on the way, just make sure you are in the shops for eleven."

and i hadnt even asked....result.

or not as the case may be; dopped the bins in the car park and there now out of alignment so im seeing double, however i continued in.

It was worth it as i headed to the Barretts Hide via the Woodland Area. A Kingfisher, i have not seen one of these since August.

courtesy of www.fritzhaeg.com

Just outside the window in Barretts Hide was a single Black Tailed Godwit alowing some long and excellent close up views. A Ruff walked around on the mud far out.

Viewing Aveley Pools from the two small areas along the Northern Trail saw plenty of Golden Plover, Lapwing, Wigeon, Shoveller & Teal. An individual Dunlin mixed within them along with 3x Common Snipe, the first i have seen over there this autumn/winter.

Others seen: Blue, Great & Long Tailed Tits, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Redwing, Woodpigeon, Collard Dove, Stonechat, Mallard, Little Egret, Moorhen, Black Headed Gulls, Herring Gulls, Chaffinch, House Sparrow, Cormorant