Wet & windy, from 1130am.
I had anticipated an early start at Dungeness hoping to get out & pick up the reported wheatears, chiff chaffs & even a garganey, however that constant spoiler this Easter, the weather, intervened decisively. When I got there it seemed to be blowing a gale & was pouring with rain. I just couldn't face the walk especially as I had had a good run the evening before & faced a potentially long drive home. Fortunately on my way home I pass Rainham Marshes so I decided to make a visit to a final reserve on my Easter expedition.
When I arrived it was threatening to brighten up, but that didn't last long, nevertheless I made for the one & only hide but before that, a good group of birds on the visitors' centre's feeders: Collared Dove, lots of Goldfinch, Greenfinch & Chaffinch.
On the way to the hide, visible on the first set of marshes: Mute Swan, Coot, Shoveler, Wigeon, Black-Headed Gull, Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Little Egret, Mallard. Then into the small wooded area & a first stretch of reedbed: Reed Bunting, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow. Into the first hide & a selection of more generalist birds picked up as I scanned the area: Moorhen, Pied Wagtail, Kestrel, Lapwing, Woodpigeon & Skylark.
I left the hide & continued on the path round the rest of the reserve with the wind & rain increasing at every step, however the next area of marsh caused me to stop for: Shelduck, Teal, Herring Gull & Lesser & Greater Black-Backed Gulls.
Trudging through the downpour & nearing the end of the reserve a group of foraging Mistle Thrush & Starling caused me to stop, unwrap my binoculars & take a quick scan. A stroke of luck because I noticed a pale, red-legged wader which was now known to me, a Spotted Redshank, alongside a 'common-or-garden' Redshank allowing for a nice comparison. It was more or less the final bird of this Easter extravanganza & one which provided a nice sort of symmetry as it was the first new species I encountered on my trip.
32 species, none new.
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