All Change at Amwell

17th October 2026

It is mid-October now which marks the transition from summer to winter at Amwell. All the summer visitors have returned to warmer climes and the winter visitors are just starting to arrive. The most famous winter visitor here is the Bittern and in the past when winters were a lot colder with frozen waterways, up to four birds could over-winter at Amwell and could frequently be seen particularly around the Bittern Pool. However, in recent years just one Bittern has over-wintered, arriving much earlier in July, this year the 31st July, but is much more elusive spending time in all four corners of the site.

Here is a photo I took on the 21st of September.

But probably most noticeable winter arrivals at the moment are the gulls. Twenty years ago gulls were only seen at Amwell during the winter months and the only sea birds to breed on site were the Common Terns. But in about 2005 Black-headed Gulls bred for the first time at Brent Reservoir, aka The Welsh Harp, and thereafter spread rapidly up the Lea Valley and took over the tern rafts to such an extent that very few Common Terns, if any, breed in the valley these days.

Today there were about 30 gulls present in front of the view-point including Black-headed, Common (not shown), Herring and Lesser Black-backed, and it is likely that more will fly in at dusk for the roost. Great Black-backed will normally arrive a little later in the year.

And the other true winter visitors on view today were some Snipe, with five birds present in front of the view-point and probably more in front of the White Hide.

Luckily some were close enough for some better shots.

And time to take a break from feeding to look after those most important feathers.

Well, it's all started and I wonder how many Goldeneye and Smew we will get this year?

Rainham Marshes in Early October

4th October 2026

I took the anti-clockwise route today as the footpath from the Purfleet Hide to the MDZ was closed. The habitat at the Ken Barrett Hide looked fantastic with low water levels and lots of wet mud but apart from a few Teal was completely dead, until a lone Water Rail ran from one reed bed to another.

The Butts Hide was equally quiet and I was soon approaching the bridge just past the Dragonfly Pool. Here the end of the hand-rail has fallen off and Paper Wasps have moved in and have constructed one of their exquisite paper nests. You can distinguish Paper Wasps from common UK wasps by their more slender elongated bodies, bright orange-tipped antennae, and longer hind legs that dangle forwards when they fly.

I then went through the turnstile on to the river wall. The tide was a long way out and not much on the mud flats apart from a lone Harbour Seal having a break from fishing.

Now back on to the reserve and made my way to the Purleet Hide. I quick stop on the bridge produced a cracking green Marsh Frog and a male Migrant Hawker Dragonfly resting on a Phragmites head.

The resident Heron was at the back of the scrape and doesn't tolerate Great White Egrets sharing its patch.

Of the waders present there was a total of eight Black-tailed Godwits scattered around, although usually a lot more at high tide when the mud on the river gets covered.

There are always a few Lapwing just preening or loafing around....................

........................but as we all know they are easily spooked.

And the over-wintering Snipe are gradually starting to return.

The male ducks are now starting to come out of their eclipse plumage like this Teal. Here its head is still a little bit fluffy.

This is a female showing off her green speculum and drying her wings after a bath.

The Shoveler males are a bit behind the Teals and are only half way through moulting into their breeding plumage.

This is a female having a wing stretch.

Just look at the width of that bill!!!

And the compulsory wing flap after a  bath.

And finally my favourite duck the Pintail which are just starting to return for the Winter. As far as I could make out this was the only Pintail on the scrape and at first couldn't make up my mind whether it was a female or a male in eclipse.

Then I remembered they are late in going into eclipse, and now it is on land you can just see some pale grey feathers coming though on the lower breast and therefore it is a male.

Well still a bit quiet but Winter is just around the corner so .................

                                                            WATCH THIS SPACE!!!!!

Pectoral Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs at Rutland Water

1st October 2026

I normally only go to Rutland Water once a year for my annual pilgrimage to photograph the Ospreys at the nest, but a Pectoral Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs were too good to miss. I made my way to the Shoveler Hide and it soon became apparent that, like most other sites, most of the lagoons had dried up and it was only Lagoon 3 that held an appreciable amount of water. Once inside the hide I settled down for some breakfast and to wait for the action to commence.

A couple of Snipe were feeding on the other side of the water and were showing well in the morning sun.

At one point a male Teal joined them. This was the first male Teal I have seen coming out of eclipse plumage  this year.

So what about the waders? Well, there were a couple of Green Sandpipers and a Ringed Plover but all very distant, and certainly too far for a decent photo. The first wader to come within range was a lone Common Sandpiper.

The Pectoral Sandpiper was being very elusive and spent most of its time feeding on the far side of the spit and hidden most of the time behind vegetation with just its head showing on occasions. But then after an hour or so it walked across the spit and started feeding in full view.

Just look at that pectoral band!!!!

Luckily, the Lesser Yellowlegs was in view most of the time but fairly distant, but eventually came closer and started to feed just 30 yards from the hide.

And finally showed off those famous yellow legs.

Well, what a fantastic day at the Egleton Reserve.