Barking Bay October 2nd

After a visit to central London at dawn, decided to pop into the Bay on the way back in the hope of some migrants, Ring Ouzels are starting to show, the scrub and short grass habitat is ideal for them. Good to see some sunshine for a change, albeit briefly, it soon started to change.

Curlew in the Bay

 Also kept an eye in the sky, looked promising for a Raptor, none seen though other than 2 Kestrels and a male Sparrowhawk hunting low over the scrub. The foreshore did not turn up hardly any waders, it was low tide, only a single Curlew being seen with 118 Shelduck feeding on the mud with no sign of the Ruddy Shelduck.

Also seen were,

Barn Swallow – 6 going over the river

Common Whitethroat – 1 in bramble

Chiffchaff – 2 in the bushes calling

Common Tern – a minimum of 8 at the Crossness Outfall

Meadow Pipit – 12 over across the river

Skylark – 4 in scrub

Rock Pipit – 1 on the foreshore, 1st of the year

A Southern Hawker was seen by the river along with 4 Migrants as well as 4 Ruddy Darters in the same area.
Also saw the Waverley on a trip down the river, fully loaded, never seen so many people on one boat, reminded me of the Scillonian.

The Waverley - fully loaded