Baillon's Crake at Rainham Marsh

Well with news that the Baillon's Crake has waited for me to get back from my hols and that the reserve plans to open at 5am it'd be rude not to give it a go so I set off at 5am covered the eighteen miles in eighteen minutes and I'm parking at Rainham by 5.20am. It's still dark but I make my way around the reserve and I'm in Butts Hide before 6am and it's still dark but as the sun starts to slowly rise the bird is seen to fly in to the far bank by the red water pump and gives good views to the massed birders for about five minutes before flying out of view.
A couple of short flight views followed before it came in to view again at 7.10am this time right in front of the hide where it walked along in full view for three minutes (ish) before vanishing back into the reeds.

View across Rainham marsh from Butts Hide

A packed Butts Hide

A great bird which happens to be 300 on my life list so even better



A very poor record shot

I pulled out of the car park where Howard was stood reluctantly shaking his bucket so added a few coins and thanked him for the effort he and his team have put in over the last week.

I should say here how good all the guys at Rainham have been to open early, they're giving up their own time to let others enjoy this fabulous bird and couldn't be more helpful, well done all!