Ducking and Diving

With several days of easterlies forecast I decided to book a day’s leave midweek so I could visit Rainham in the hope of connecting with some interesting birds. An early start got me to Fenchurch Street in plenty of time to purchase my regular bacon roll and coffee prior to boarding the 07:02 to Rainham. It was already light when I arrived thanks to the stupid clocks being put back last weekend and the high cloud and light wind suggested good conditions for visible migration.

As I walked along the cycle path cutting across the marshes from Ferry Lane I saw a few groups of Woodpigeon flew over including several flocks of over 100 but they soon petered out and I only counted a total of 515 along with three Redwing and nothing else. It seems that birds don’t trust the weather forecast either and only start their journeys when the local conditions are suitable.

Despite the lack of vismig it was still a pleasant walk down to the Concrete Barges once I left the A13 flyover behind full of early morning commuters and truck drivers. I was accompanied all the way by the  ever vocal Cetti’s Warblers that hide in the reeds and then shout out as you approach. I crossed over Ferry Lane and headed down the road towards the Concrete Barges and the River Thames. 

Jolly Roger flying over the Concrete Barges

Concrete Barges with Crossness across the river

Start of the Pirate Trail

It’s also the start of the Pirate Trail but no one seems to know why it’s there and who did it. A tight flock of crows appeared over the tip and flew across the river; I suspected they were mobbing a raptor and sure enough there was a Common Buzzard in the throng.

Spot the Buzzard amongst the Crows

It was low tide so there were plenty of waders on the mud, Redshank, Lapwing & Black-tailed Godwits.

Black-tailed Godwits

I often think back to when I first started birding at Rainham, you had to walk all the way along Ferry Lane as there was no path across it and there were no Godwits. In fact there were often no waders at all if there wasn’t any water in the silt lagoons so at least things have changed positively. This stretch of the river is well known for its over-wintering Rock and Water Pipits and I soon found some of each. There's often some around the barges or the bay where the Deep-sea Diver sculpture is.

Deep-sea Diver sculpture

The pipits have only recently arrived back for the season so it was good to re-acquaint myself with their calls: the flatter, almost out-of-tune Rock and the sharper call of Water although they do sometimes emit intermediate calls which could belong to either species!

I then followed the riverside path which goes around the ever increasing landfill tip, Rainham’s version of the dark satanic mills.

Landfill tip

Coldharbour Lighthouse

The family of black cats that live in the factories along the river wall

At least the tip attracts gulls although today I couldn’t find either Yellow-legged or Caspian among the five common species that are regular here. I stopped at the western end of Aveley Bay to scan the waders on the shore and picked up the usual flock of Avocet, another relatively new comer that winters here. While scanning the river I picked up four large all dark ducks heading east – Common Scoter! - a new species for my Rainham list and also evidence of some movement due to the easterly winds.

Wennington Marshes from Serin Mound

Wennington Marshes looking back to the silt lagoons

I made a  short diversion to the Serin Mound to look over Wennington Marshes but it was fairly quiet apart from a single Marsh Harrier so I returned to the river wall and walked down to the centre for a well deserved coffee.

Kerry the Kestrel regularly hunts by Aveley Bay car park

I did a circuit of the RSPB reserve which didn’t take long as the woodland seemed devoid of birds. I paused to see the Barn Owl in its box then carried onto Avelely Pools. A few waders started to arrive as the tide was coming in and a flock of Dunlin landed on the bank as the water was too deep for them. I didn’t linger too long as I had a message that Andy had found two Goldeneye and a Red-breasted Merganser on the river so wanted to get back to look for them. After a quick spot of lunch at the picnic tables I exited via the turnstile and onto the river wall. I soon found the Goldeneye, another Rainham tick and got them in the scope for Howard who was working nearby. He’d just seen the Merg close in so I wandered along until I could see it, the third species of sea duck on the river today – the easterlies had worked after all!

I joined Andy & Howard then waited until the tide had come in fully, there were plenty of waders flying around but no more seabirds unfortunately. I decided to leave at this point with a vague plan of visiting Regent’s Park on the way home as a Red-throated Diver had turned up there. As I had to go past Baker Street anyway I decided that I might as well pop in for a look and soon found the bird asleep by the cafe with two of my friends keeping an eye on it. It didn’t want to wake up so we took advantage of the adjacent cafe. We could see that the diver had woken up so we went back out for very close views, the first diver I’d seen in Inner London and yet another seabird for the day.

Red-throated Diver