Group meet up Rainham Marsh

Friday 22nd July an evening visit to  Rainham Marsh.  'Birding in Essex ' (B.I.E) is a group I am a member of and  it was one of our meet up's.Here are some of my photo's , not too bad for a beginner !

Started with the Comma Butterfly, a couple of Bearded Tits (Juveniles) and as the light began to fade a Barn Owl hunting (poor picture,to far away) and finishing the evening with a lovely sunset.
 A lovely time meeting up with old friends and making new one's. Thanks to Howard Vaughan and staff at the R.S.P.B visitors centre for their late opening.

Valentines Park part 2

Returned a week later (Linda's return dentist visit)
Another little walk round, this time I have my new camera.Finally got around to purchasing a proper camera (second hand) hopefully when I get to learn how to use it, it will produce better photo's.!

A couple more to show.   1.Same Juvenile.Heron  2.Wood Duck  3. Resting Greylag Goose
                                        4. Cygnet Mute Swan   5. Wren singing very loudly.

Visit to Valentines Park, Ilford. Part 1

7th July 2016     It must have been thirty odd years since I had visited Valentines Park in Ilford.
I had some time to kill while waiting for my wife to have some dental treatment at our dentist in the Cranbrook Road.

A couple of photo's of the wildlife: 1 Greylag Geese  2. Egyptian Goose  3. Juvenile Heron 4.Cormorant
 ( need to enlarge).

Collared Doves in the garden

Having first bred in Norfolk in 1955, the species is now familiar in most parts of Britain.
Spread spectacularly across Europe since about 1930 when it was confined to Turkey and parts of the Balkans. They reached Hungary in 1932, Germany in 1943, Holland in 1947, France in 1950 and Norway in 1952 when they were first seen in Britain. Within 20 years they were present throughout most of the British Isles and numbers have continued to increase in many areas, especially on farmland.

Four in my garden looking to pick up any seeds that have fallen from the feeders.22nd June 2016

New Barn Owl addition

20th June 2016 -  A red letter day for me. Something I've always wanted to do....bird ringing.

It was arranged for me to meet with Dave McGough an experienced local birder and Dr.Simon Cox a licensed bird ringer for the county and an expert on Barn Owls. The job was to ring some young Barn owls before they few the nest. Sorry but the location can't be shared , but it's in Havering. We approached the nest box in pouring rain on private land.( permission granted before hand). Five young Barn owls had been reared, and  ready for leaving within days.The adult birds had left the nest to hunt, which was our chance to examine, measure, weigh and finally ring the chicks
A few photo's ( above ) of the chicks and the procedure to examine and ring them.
The birds were totally unharmed and returned to their box.
A wonderful day for me that will remain with me forever!

The Ingrebourne visitors centre

4th June 2016     A lovely show of wild flowers around the centre....Three different species of Poppy.

Calm & Peaceful Ingrebourne Valley

                         Photos taken from the Iron Bridge - a breath of Spring air 17th May 2016

Happy ending...could have been much worse

5th April – Ingrebourne Valley , Hornchurch Country Park. Essex Wildlife Trust.

Last week we had reports of a Canada goose that appeared to be in difficulties with plastic caught around its neck and beak. At that time it was very difficult to capture it, as it was able to fly away. However today a local wildlife hero, James, who was visiting, managed to catch it and bring it into our visitors centre. Plastic connecting rings, the type which carries four cans of drink was indeed caught around its neck and beak, so tight that it could not eat or clean its feathers. This is why it was rescued by James, because it was weak from lack of food and its feather were in a poor state, so it could not fly away. The plastic was cut away, leaving the goose some freedom to move its neck and swallow. Then one of our volunteers took it to a local Wildlife hospital for a health check, rest and recuperation. Hopefully once it’s well it can be release back in the wild. 

Sorry....

Sorry it's been such a long time since an update. So many things to do !
But I have been about, here and there, so here is a little insight,nothing really exciting.
A couple of pictures from our webcam in April. Blue tits of course.

A nice visit to the garden.

A nice little visit this morning ( 15th Feb.)  Four Long tailed Tits on the peanut feeder. They are not regular visitors, about 3/4 visits a year, but best in the winter.
Arrrag..... no camera ready !

R.S.P.B Reserve Dungeness

Dungeness visit with Havering local R.S.P.B group (planned coach trip).

Date: Saturday 30th January

 Not a bad day, weather wise, a bit chilly on the sea front with a keen wind. The sun came out just after lunch for a couple of hours, lifting the temperature a couple of degrees. Plenty of Razorbills, a few Gannets, Cormorants and a good number of Great Crested Grebes, probably numbering about twenty and the usual Gulls you would expect, Kittiwakes, Black- headed, Lesser and Great Black- backed Gulls. Missed out on Glaucous and a Caspian Gull which some others saw.

The highlight of the day for me was two Long – eared Owls. One was just perched and preening itself in full view, but the other one was deep inside some cover of small trees and shrubs and you could just about make out  its shape. Other birds of note were four Tree Sparrows, three Great white Egrets, Goldeneye, Smew, Pochard ( Redhead), Slavonian Grebe and a Marsh Harrier.

 

A good day out Birding with great company.Looking forward to the next trip out !

Raiding party !

Well awoke this morning with a dusting of snow on the ground, hardly anything really and less that was forecasted on Saturday night.

 Last week I was talking to someone at Rainham Marsh about how many Lesser Redpolls were visiting the garden feeders and how they had replaced the Goldfinches feeding on the Niger seed. The person said,  “wait until the weather turns colder with some frost, ice or snow and the Goldfinches will return” he had something similar happened in his garden last year.

At about 9:00 this morning and  having breakfast and watching the Lesser Redpolls (6) feeding, suddenly without warning a party of 7 Long - tailed tits arrived along with 2 Blue tits, 2 Great tits and took over the feeders ( Peanuts and Niger seeds) The Lesser Redpolls left the feeders and just looked on. In a small space of time, approx 10mins they all left, then 4 Goldfinches arrived to continue where the L. Redpolls left off.

The Goldfinch situation was part right!

Keeping an eye open tomorrow morning.

Rainham Marsh visit

A few hours spent over Rainham Marshes today. Makes a nice change for it not to be raining, a bit chilly, but the sun was shining. First port of call the Purfleet scrape hide, Shelduck, Teal, Mallard, Widgeon, Lapwing, Moorhen and Coot.

  Wigeon & Lapwing

                        Shelduck, Moorhen, Lapwing                             

Walking along the southern trail towards the M.D.Z hide good sightings of 2 pairs of Stonechats, 1 pair of Reed Bunting and a brief viewing of a Cetti’s Warbler before it disappeared as normal. Into the M.D.Z hide, hoping to get a sighting of any Kingfishers that might be looking for a nesting hole ( 1 seen yesterday) from the M.D.Z , but no luck, Just 2 Mute Swans, 1 Coot and a Little Grebe. Returned to the Visitors centre for a nice cuppa and a comfort break.

Then a walk around the Cordite Woodland and around the ‘loop’ to the woodland feeding station. Plenty to see Redwing, Great tit, Blue tit, Long- tailed  tit, Robin, Wren, Dunnock and another pair of Reed Bunting’s feeding off of the feeding table. A Great spotted woodpecker paid a visit to the ‘seed hopper’, even two field mice came out to pick up the fallen seeds.

Redwing

A further walk up to the Ken Barrett hide hoping to get a better view of the Dartford Warbler, no such luck ! A walk back to the centre and home as the light was not very good, but managed to see a lovely Song Thrush and hear it singing, a good end to the visit.

Rain,Rain, Rain

It has rained every day at some time since the 1^st January, 41 mm so far, needless to say I have not been out much. I really feel for those who have been flooded out.

My small garden is changing habitats, at this rate it’s becoming a marshland.....umm might get some waders. It’s still a pleasure to look out of my window and see the birds, all common species I know but they become my birds. The Lesser Redpolls ( 12 most days now) have taken over the feeders and the Goldfinches are visiting but not in the usual numbers. The other observation is the Robin seems to be obsessed with chasing the two Dunnocks out of the garden. The Dunnocks frequent the garden most of the day; they pick up the spills from the ground below the feeders.

A few birds from the garden;