Dagenham Riverside

January 2nd



Referring back to the last post I was itching to get out and try the new camera, checking the tides showed a morning high tide for the river so the old Jetty was opted for.

Getting into position before they came into roost, some were already in, had me covering the ground SAS style, belly crawling and eventually setting up with the camo netting over me.

What I hadn’t realised was that I was right next to a Foxes den, the area and my clothes absolutely stunk of them.

As many will know photographing in Essex across the Thames you always seem to have the sun against you, today was no different as the morning cleared it was from the south east. Consequently most of the shots I took today were against the sun unfortunately.

Never less the D7100 is far superior to my old D300, the auto focus for one is brilliant, I am looking forward to trying it out on a fast moving peregrine, a challenge for any camera.
Like anything its new with lots of different gadgets to try, the trick as always is remembering them all, it will take time, I am not technically minded.

The roost itself held 12 Curlew, 89 Redshank, 150 Lapwing, 23 Black Tailed Godwits, 3 Common Sandpipers and 34 Shelduck.

I had hoped that the main Black Tailed Godwit flock would come in, around 300 birds but suspect they chose Crossness, Barges or Rainham RSPB to roost.