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.