The reeds of Rainham

Rainham marsh is my nearest RSPB reserve being just a ten minute drive away but I don't visit anywhere near enough so today I made the trip and walked the reserve.

The reedbed was alive with birds including Reed, Sedge and Cetti's warbler plus a few Reed Bunting.
Every channel of water held a breeding pair of Little Grebe some on eggs whilst others already had chicks. Cuckoo called and Green Woodpecker raised the alarm when a cat patrolled the footpath. Marsh Frogs called from every ditch and a couple of Voles rushed across as I approached target pool. Lapwing and Redshank appeared to be the only waders present although I was looking more at passerines today.

Reed Warbler

Reed Warbler

Reed Warbler take off

Reed Warbler

Little Grebe

Sedge Warbler

Sedge Warbler

Roller at Edgefield near Holt

It doesn't get much better than this! Saturday I'm in Kent watching a Black Kite, Sunday I'm in Suffolk connecting with the Pacific Swift and today I ventured up to Norfolk where I found my first ever Roller and what a bird it was. I had waited for news this morning after the bird had been found last night and sure enough it was posted as still being around first thing but as I was due to leave a second post saying that the bird had flown west came through to add doubt to my reasoning but my gut told me the bird would be re found so I decided to make the 120mile journey for it. Suzanne came with me and we pulled into the layby about 400yards past Holt country park on the B1149 and crossed the road as we could see a crowd of twitchers gathered in the field.

Roller twitch 

Within seconds we had the bird in my scope (252) and had cracking views of it flying around and sitting out on various favoured perches before it finally flew off over the road.

Distant record shot of the star bird

We left and took the long route home along the north coast stopping first at Cley and then at Titchwell and Choseley drying barns.
Amongst the other less significant birds seen were Marsh Harrier, Corn Bunting, Turtle Dove, Spotted Redshank, Knot and Grey Plover in splendid summer plumage along with many other expected birds for this time of year.
The Roller has to be one of the best birds on my list and the day will be long remembered.

Corn Bunting

Chaffinch

Avocet

MEGA ALERT : Pacific Swift still at Trimley Marsh

Having not twitched yesterday I was racked with remorse last night as the posts kept on coming with news of the Pacific Swift still being seen well into the evening over the marsh at Trimley so I decided that I'd wake early and give it a go knowing my chances would be slim as these birds don't come along often and certainly don't spend two days at the same place but what the hell I was going to give it a go, so I collected the Jims and we headed up the A12 arriving at the car park for 7am. We made the walk along the track reported to be some three miles but realistically more like two.

Trimley Marsh with Pacific Swift in the distance (honest it's there)

On the way three birders were already leaving saying it wasn't present which we thought was a little strange to be leaving at 7.15am so we continued our march towards the visitor centre hearing Nightingale call along the way. We got to the first hide at 7.30am and entered to find three locals inside and they greeted us with news that they had just seen the bird so within minutes we were all sat enjoying distant views and as news went out on the pager the hide quickly filled. Soon after the mass ranks decided the bank behind the hide would give a better view so we joined them and again had lovely scope views as the bird hawked the reedbed and came a little closer in the next hour that we watched it. Having an appointment to keep we had to leave but took advantage of the warden and his car for a lift back through the reserve to the car park for a small donation....what a result and what a gent he was.

Great twitch of this mega rarity with a good bunch of birders and a welcoming reserve. Pacific Swifts breed in eastern Asia and winter in Australia so finding one in Suffolk is rare in fact I think it's the first time for the county and only the seventh for Britain with most not being twitchable until this little guy decided to stay put long enough for us. (Bird 251 for 2013!)

Oare and Elmley

Spotted Flycatcher

I woke early this morning and decided to take the Jims down to Faversham as they still hadn't seen the Black Kite. We arrived on site at around 7.30am and had to wait around an hour before we had a distant sighting of the target as it flew along the far ridge of the valley but it was enough for them to tick it. We waited a couple of hours but it didn't return despite several Common Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk showing. We left to search the local lanes and found a pair of Turtle Dove before pulling into the local church were we found Spotted Flycatcher and a Hobby flashed through too. Then the pager buzzed into life with the message MEGA ALERT : Pacific Swift Trimley Marsh. Now we were in Kent over a hundred miles away and thought the swift would be a fly through so we carried on birding in Kent with a visit to Oare Marsh  followed by a trip to Elmley with the pager buzzing with messages of conflict ranging from "not seen since xxx" to "re found at xxx" along with "police on site issuing parking tickets" and "park in village and WALK to the reserve then follow the track for THREE miles" so we decided to give it a miss which could be a decision we live to regret but hopefully the bird will show again as it makes it's journey down the east coast. Swift dilemma aside we had a decent day down in Kent.

Meadow Pipit at Oare Marsh

Little Egret at Elmley

Oyster Catcher at Elmley

Marsh Harrier and Lapwing

Swallowtail Butterflies at Strumpshaw Fen

I took a drive up the A11 today with Suzanne and Tia. After walking the dunes on the coast we headed back towards Strumpshaw Fen in the hope that the warmer weather might bring a few Swallowtail butterflies out to play. We parked up and made the short walk around the back of the reserve away from the visitor centre. A short way down the track we found the flower garden we were looking for and after a short wait a couple of Swallowtails flew in and started to feed. Large White, Peacock, Orange Tip and Brimstone also enjoyed the flower bed whilst we had views of Marsh Harrier from the garden and could hear Cuckoo and Bittern too. We enjoyed a nice pub lunch on the banks of the Broads at Burlingham and then we made the journey south.

Swallowtail butterfly

Swallowtail

Swallowtail

Swallowtail

Swallowtail butterfly

Brimstone Butterfly

Long Tailed Duck at Canada Water Rotherhithe WHY?

After reading a couple of blogs regarding the Long Tailed Duck that has decided to spend some time in the middle of Rotherhithe on a small area of water in the middle of a retail park next to Canada Water station I couldn't help but take the short fifteen mile drive to check it out.

Long Tailed Duck

Long Tailed Duck

Firstly I was amazed to find free parking, that's not expected anywhere in London but I parked up and walked across past the station to view the water. I quickly found the Long Tailed Duck in the middle of the pool so occupied myself with Heron and Cormorant while I waited for the sea duck to come closer and eventually it did as did a pair of Common Tern as the male brought fish to the female before mating took place.

Grey Heron

Cormorant

Reptile Eyes

Common Tern (with Stickleback) 

Long Tailed Duck

Why this sea duck has decided to drop in on a fresh water pool and taken a liking to bread is beyond me but it appears healthy enough and dives for almost a minute at a time so hopefully it'll find it's way home soon.

Black Kite at Selling near Faversham Kent

I was down at Pegwell Bay this morning at 6am looking more in hope than expectation for the Bee-Eater that spent the weekend there. I thought I heard the bird around 7am but couldn't find it despite a good search. A pair of Turtle Doves, a Cuckoo and several Ring Necked Parakeet kept me entertained but as I stood watching with the warden and another guy at around 8am they saw the Bee-Eater take flight and head off high to the west but I have to admit that I couldn't be sure I'd got it in my bins which disappointed me.

Black Kite

Black Kite

I searched the reserve again and walked through to the playing fields beyond searching wires etc as I went but only found a Peregrine Falcon for my trouble sitting on the old shell of the power station.
At 10am news came through that a Black Kite was still present at Selling so I decided to try for that and made the 25mile trip back toward home up the A2 exiting at the M2 junction and driving the narrow lanes toward Selling. I parked up on the triangle and walked back to the area where Lee Evans and a few other  birders had gathered and just in time too as the Black Kite flew in across the valley and came really close before turning and heading back over the trees only to be re found sitting in a tree giving excellent scope views. The bird is very flat winged with obvious fingers and light shoulder lines with that obvious kite rudder of a tail but not the fork we are used to seeing with our Red Kites.
This is my first Black Kite and moves the year list to 250 too.

Black Kite

The images are from distant and heavily cropped but I hope capture some of the birds character.