Cooling Marshes

I have said it before I know but a North Kent Marshes sunrise takes some beating, over at my favourite place again with just me, the Cows and Sheep for company all morning.
Timed the visit to catch the tide, it was obviously going to be another hot one as I arrived at around 5.30am.

I was hoping for Hobby, the drive out to the track usually produces; the camera was ready but got intercepted by the sunrise.

In 4 hours I saw some good quality birds, top billing will go to a Curlew Sandpiper, seen briefly foraging before heading up river towards Cliffe, just a pity it didn’t hang around for long.

Other goodies were Little Tern, this was in with 9 Sandwich Terns roosting, single Wheatear, 3 Grey Plover, 7 Whimbrel, 4 Bearded Tits, 5 Corn Buntings including a recently fledged juvenile and 25+ Yellow Wagtails.
Black Tailed Godwit were seemingly everywhere, a rough count produced around 285 birds along with a couple of Barwits, also in numbers were Yellow Wagtails, easily 25+ dotted around the Cattle.

Sandwich and Common Terns roosting

On the Raptor front, 2 Common Buzzards were being mobbed by 2 Kestrels and the ever reliable Little Owl was in its usual spot.

Clouded Yellow

Large female Wasp Spider

Male Bearded Tit

Ever reliable

Corn Bunting

Juvenile

Also caught up with my 1st Wasp Spider at the Marshes, a big female no less, have seen them often at Rainham, suspect they are pretty regular in Kent, have just never looked for them out here.