Rainham Rainham Rainham

With my runs to drop the grandkids to school in Hornchurch I'm finding an hour after to walk the river wall at Rainham with increased regularity. Monday I found a Corn Bunting which allowed a very quick photo before it flew off, Corn Bunting are proving very elusive this year at Rainham though. I found my first Wheatear of the year up on the tip which is always  a memorable moment. Raven and Spoonbill are seen on most visits at the moment and there's still plenty of Wigeon, Teal, Snipe and Pintail about. Med Gulls are on the move with constant calling as they fly over in pairs at regular intervals. Sedge Warblers are now easy to hear along the river wall walk and Redshank, Lapwing and Avocet are setting about sorting breeding territory but the river is quiet still.

Corn Bunting

Tuesday I only had about half an hour and things were pretty quiet save more movement of Med Gulls and a few Red Kites coming across the river heading north.

Red Kite

Today I headed over to walk the wall after dropping young George at school and heard reports of a Hoopoe on the reserve last night but negative news this morning. One of my great issues with Rainham is access to the reserve. It opens at 9.30 and closes at 4.30pm The Hoopoe was reported yesterday at 4.36pm so no time to have a look last night for anybody.

I heard the Sedge Warblers again on my way along the wall and stopped to scan Marshland discovery zone where I found a single Little-ringed Plover and a single Dunlin. On the next pool two Spotted Redshank were fresh in. The Spoonbill was on history pool and quite active until flushed by a worker on the reserve. News broke that the Hoopoe had been seen so I headed onto the reserve to join the locals trying to track it down but it was only seen by one or two people and was gone in a flash to the disappointment of the small gathering of birders. Whilst scanning Purfleet scrape Andrew S spotted a drake Garganey which was a nice addition to the Rainham year list.

Marsh Harrier and Snipe

Garganey

Linnet

Goldfinch

Year list now 165 with the Wheatear on Monday.