Dagenham Riverside November 21st

Could not locate the Fox that usually shows, as in earlier visits, whistled for all I was worth but no luck.    

Roosting Redshank

 The high tide roost already held good numbers of birds, pick of the bunch being a Bar Tailed Godwit amongst the Redshank, possibly fresh in as I had not heard of any being seen at Rainham RSPB or Crossness for that matter. Just as I was going to get a photo of it, they all spooked due to a low flying female Sparrowhawk gliding through the treeline.

Got onto it as it headed down river, very likely to join the Black Tailed Godwits that roost on the Stone Barges.

Curlew, Shelduck and Lapwing roosting

 Everything else then returned, as follows –

Redshank – 142 in there usual spot

Lapwing – 214 – building steadily as you would expect at this time of year

Curlew – 14 – a record count for the site, given that I had already seen 5 earlier going to roost on the jetty in Barking Bay, this gave a minimum count of 19 birds, a good total this early in the winter

Dunlin – 100 seen going up river to roost, presumably Crossness or the Jetty in Barking Bay

Teal – 66 in with the Redshank

Shoveler - 4

Shelduck – 19

Stock Dove – 19 – strange sight of seeing these tucked in with the waders, its not the 1st time I have seen it either.

Great Crested Grebe

Additional species of interest seen were a flyover Redpoll, presumably Lesser, a Green Woodpecker and a Rock Pipit, a Great Crested Grebe fishing in the Bay gave good views.

Great Crested Grebe, especially  for Sarah, hope you like it.