Rainham - Aveley Bay December 4th

Was hopeful of catching up with the Eider which I need for London and the patch, it was seen yesterday so was optimistic it could still be in the area.

Posy Stonechat

 Paul and Jono were already present as I walked down, and although I missed the 3 Gooseanders going up river as I arrived, I got 2 of them coming back high. A good start and also a year tick.

Conditions looked too good for any scarcer species up the Thames even on an incoming tide, and so it proved with little movement, and unfortunately no sign of the Eider over a couple of hours.

Jono and Paul waiting for Les to find something

Grey Plovers

Grey Plovers goingto roost

Cant complain though, some good birds were seen, as follows-

Dunlin – both sides of the river, probably around 600

Redshank – again both sides, around 300

Curlew – 2

Grey Plover – 3 seen

Ruff – 1 overhead

Common Snipe – 4 seen

Wildfowl – large numbers of Wigeon and Teal everywhere on the river along with lower numbers of Shelduck and Gadwall. A single Pintail was also seen.

Stonechat – 1 very approachable bird

Rock Pipit – 2 in the area

Corn Bunting – 3 upriver and a further 6 feeding on the Saltmarsh.

Brambling – 1 seen in with a passing Finch/Bunting flock.

Popped in to Corbets Tey to check up on the lakes on the way home in the hope of a rarity, no luck but did get a female Sparrowhawk with prey. Got onto her first being mobbed by a couple of Crows, then she just came towards me and I got of a couple of photo’s, light was not great, but not too bad.

Female with prey

The eyes have it