Rainham Marshes - Marsh Warbler

So at 7.15pm i was given the green light to go over to Rainham, for both Black Tern & Marsh Warbler, but for the Black Tern, i new i was pushing my luck as it was a few hours after the news had come out, if it wasnt there i could still try and get a listen to the mimicry of the Mash Warbler from the same vantage point.

View down from Serin Mound over Hayfields towards Wennington Marsh

No Black Tern but the Marsh Warbler was singing rather well. At about 8.15pm a all 7 of us were looking down into the Hemlock / Cow Parsley, not sure which, when up popped a Marsh Warbler, for a very pleasing tickable view. Then it dropped down and nothing more apart from more mimicry for another hour and fifteen minutes, which was nice ti listen to, before the light started to fade.

A Marsh Warbler courtesy of www.surfbirds.com

However we also managed the reeling of a Grasshopper Warbler to the right of serin mound, a Hobby came down and along the ditch finally to land on the metal fencing to our left.

Then for me another life tick in the form of a Corn Bunting, on the single tree in the hay fields over Wennington. You could easily hear it rattling away and as long as you had a scope the views were distant but good as the bird sat at the top of this tree for some time.

courtesy of www.wildbirdirect.com

In Aveley Bay: Shelduck, Redshank & Oystercatcher

Then to top off a good couple of hours as i drove back past Ingrebourne Valley one Little Owl just round the bend passed the Optimist PH.