Update

Monday I saw a Little Owl and Steve Smith had 2 Common Tern and a Hobby.Today the best bird was a Common Buzzard for me.

Ingrebounre Valley

Speckled Wood
Met up with Paul boy ,martin,Jono and david at the the Ingrebourne Valley to try and find these Green Hair streaks Butterflies but STILL can not find them.Birds seen today were Hobby,2 Buzzard,3 Swift and a Cuckoo,Sandmartin,House Martin ect.

Ingrebounre Osprey

Well this evening went out looking for some of the Green Letter Hairstreaks Butterflies which have been seen today.I did not see them but had a site first with a Osprey over head going west manage some record shots.I phoned vince to say it was flying to the Dagenham Chase lucky for him he was on his patch so a tick for him.Paul and jono were waiting on there patches to see if carried on going west but sadly it did not. A 3rd for Essex for me and 2rd for London. Also this evening had Buzzard and Cuckoo.

Scotland 2010 part 2

Goosesander
Red Grouse

Common Gull

Scotland 2010

Crested Tit

Wite Tailed Eagle
White Tailed Eagle
The 15th of April saw myself Dave,Dick and Martin Redfern drive over night to Scotland taking ten hours.The next morning we meet up with Martin Blow where he showed us some sites for Scottish Crossbill and Capercallie as he was on a family hoilday there .Both showed well.In the afternoon we were Treated to Great views of Golden and White Tailed Eagles over our heads which was amazing.I think Martin would of wished he stayed with us lads all day and not just the morning.We also saw 4 Osprey that day.The next two days birds were 2 Black Grouse,40+ Red Grouse,3 Crested Tit,Redstart,R T diver,Tree pipit,6 Hooded Crow,etc.The short trip goes down to be the best one for me as not only I got 3 new ticks but the company,stunning close views of the rare and common birds and having time to record photos of it all.

ssssssssssshhhhhhhhh

It seemed very quite over the Ingrebounre Valley this evening as I only had 2 Sedge and 2 Reed Warblers were the best birds that I saw/heard. Quiet is not the word I would use for the Motor bike which was going around the foot paths with 5 kids waiting for a turn to use it but we were all young once.....

Black Winged Stilt

Some record shots of the black winged stilt at the Rainham Marshes yesterday, a great bird to see .

Black winged Stilt

This evening after work i went to see the cracking Black Winged Stilt at Rainham Marshes which showed really well at 5 o clock. Another Essex/London tick for me.
I will update some pictures tomorrow .

The Ingrebounre Valley is on fire at the moment as this evening i had a singing Grasshopper Warbler,2 LRP plus a Barn Owl .

Hoopoe

The Hoopoe at Rainham Marshes yesterday was my 2rd for London/Essex the 1st one being back in 2006 in a garden in Hornchurch and the 3rd in the UK for me.It showed quite well as everyone stayed at a distance to give others a chance to see it.I met Paul hawkins there as he also needed it for a Rainham tick as he missed the last one there years ago by mins.

Alpine Swift

The Alpine Swift showed well this morning at Warren Gorge near Chafford Hundred .A call from Hawky and Dave Lambert saying the bird was showing well.A first visit to site for me which was a really nice place. Managed a couple of poor record shots.The bird was found by local birder Ruth Barnes so well done to her.

Rainham Marshes

A family trip to Rainham Marshes this morning produced 2 cracking water pipits at the stone barges in summer kit and a male marsh harrier over the silt lagoons, we bumped into Hawky in the car park and he told us there were some wheatears on the sea wall which we managed to see. We had a quick cuppa (Jo had her usual bread pudding)in the cafe and received a call from Hawky to say that he was watching a female marsh harrier which I managed to see from the visitors centre, had a quick chat with H, then family walked the circuit.