A Stroll Round Rainham Marshes

4th July 2019

A beautiful day at Rainham so off on a clockwise circuit before the sun gets too hot. On the way round the usual suspects were on show such as this juvenile Little Grebe still showing the remnants of its humbug plumage, and this particularly bright green Marsh Frog.

There were fairly few dragonflies around considering the superb habitat, but I did manage to get a shot of this male Ruddy Darter and a female Emperor Dragonfly egg-laying.

On the bird front there were good numbers of finches, particularly Linnets, and also a sprinkling of Goldfinches. Photography from the Purfleet Hide is difficult at the moment as the nearest pools have dried out and the reeds are growing up in front of the windows. However, I did manage to get this shot of a family of Shelducks feeding on one of the remaining pools.

On the way to the Dragonfly Pools a lone Sky Lark sat motionless while we walked past.

Close to the Butts Hide a Sedge Warbler was singing its heart out at the top of a Sallow and provided a number of opportunities over a half an hour or so.

But the stars of the show today were the Water Voles under the bridge between the visitor centre and the Purfleet Hide. I first photographed them here 7 years ago, but haven't seen one since. But today they were like trains, or more appropriately replacement buses, continually swimming from one side to the other.

MAGIC!!!!