The Weed Dance at Rainham Marshes

2nd April 2024

Just a few hours to spare so off to Rainham Marshes for the afternoon. A bit more spring-like than my last visit with singing Sedge Warblers and my first Small Tortoiseshell and Common Carder Bee of the year.

I popped down to the Cordite Store in the hope of seeing some warblers and was lucky enough to find this Chiffchaff with a feather for its nest...............

....................and also this male Blackcap which was singing his heart out.

Now on to the Purfleet Hide and managed to find this Heron fishing on the new flood behind the hide.

Plenty of action from the Lapwings with plenty of aerial displays...............

...............and the pair of Little Grebes were fishing right outside the hide, with one taking a break for a bath.

There is also a magnificent pair of Great Crested Grebes in front of the hide and on my last visit on the 18th March they were building their nest and today I was expecting it to be finished with the female sitting on eggs. 

But for whatever reason the nest was no further forward than before, although the pair were still together with plenty of displaying.

The female was indulging in plenty of neck-twisting.

Then came the moment we were all waiting before, their famous weed dance. This involves both birds diving down to the bottom to collect some weed and then paddling furiously to lift themselves out of the water to increase their height. Just how amazing is that?

What a fantastic afternoon and good to bump into Ian Plume and Barry Tranfield in the hide. 

Well, I'm off home now to offer the wife a handful of pond weed. Wish me luck!!