Another Fantastic Day at Rainham Marshes

3rd June 2019

Summer marches on and the Spring migrants are long gone and those that remain are settled down for the breeding season. So in the hope of the bird population being increased by some young birds, time for another visit to Rainham Marshes. As is often the case there was a warm welcome from the House Sparrows in the car park and around the visitor centre.

Along the trails the House Sparrows petered out and were replaced by Linnets and Reed Buntings. This male Linnet was showing off his summer finery.

Wrens can sometimes be difficult to photograph as they tend to remain hidden in dense vegetation. However, when they are singing it is a different story as they become oblivious to everything going on around them

Also along the trails Reed warblers were very vocal and also more visible than when they first arrive, giving a few opportunities for some shots.

Sedge Warblers were either less numerous or less showy, but I did manage to get this one against a backdrop of Dog Rose.

Along the river wall Common Whitethroats were the dominant species sometimes skulking with their "churr" call, but also singing from the highest vantage point.

At the Butts Hide this eight-legged Avocet was sheltering its three chicks until a perceived danger had passed. They are notoriously territorial and will see off any intruders, even as large as Canada Geese. As Mark Golley once wrote in the Cley Marshes log when all the other waders had been driven off, "The Avocet monoculture has taken over". The only other bird that came close enough for a photo was this Grey Heron.

As I approached the Northern Trail I caught some movement under a Sallow out of the corner of my eye. Although a very bright day it was very dark in there and I had to wind the ISO up to 2500. A Water Vole was climbing around out of the water on some of the lower branches and eventually showed itself through a gap in the foliage. Although I have seen the odd individual, this is the first Water Vole that I have photographed at Rainham Marshes for a few years.

Well, what a fine end to the day I thought, until I got to the viewing platform just south of the Cordite Store. For there at the far north end of the Purfleet Scape was the Cattle Egret, although currently out of view. After about five minutes it broke cover and flew right towards me, eventually landing on a gate post. How good is that?

It's a bit of a pity that the cow behind it was white and not black.