February 1-7: East London

The first week of February saw me visit three sites in the eastern half of London with local walks to Brent on the other days.

My first expedition this week was to Rainham on Wednesday. It was a lovely sunny morning which tempted the local Skylarks to start singing. The now regular flock of Barnacle Geese was still on Wennington and a Buzzard sat on a fence post. The Dartford Warbler returned to being elusive again despite seeing lots of Stonechats along the riverwall. There were no new waders in the bay and a circuit of the reserve failed to add anything new until we bumped into Neil who had seen the pair of Ravens out on Purfleet scrape. Oh well, they can wait another day as I’ll see them eventually.

The following day I went across the river to my old haunt of Swanscombe. It was my second visit of the year here and I enjoyed the walk around. It wouldn’t be as pleasant if they build that damned theme park. I still don’t understand why anyone would build a one billion pound theme park on a flood plain next to the Thames! As I completed the Botany Marsh loop I heard the unmistakeable sound of a cronking Raven, and shortly one flew into view, my second best flyover of the morning following the Spitfire that went over earlier.

Raven

It landed on a pylon and continued to call, presumably confirming its territory as I heard another one call not far away. I had lunch on the sandy beach – the only one in the London Area (20 miles radius from St Paul’s Cathedral) and kept an eye on the Thames in case the incoming tide brought an interesting gull or duck with it. Needless to say it didn’t. The only wader was a flyover Curlew. I’ll have to come back another day at low tide as there are usually a lot more waders here. I completed my circuit of the new Thames path and returned up the hill back to the station, pleased that I’d finally managed to see Raven this year.

Swanscombe beach, with a background of Tilbury Docks

Spitfire

After a few days staying local and popping up to Brent Reservoir I ventured further afield again, this time to Orsett Fen. I took an early train from Fenchurch Street to Ockenden and walked up the road to the start of the footpath which covers a lot of farmland, scrub, woodland and river valley. I first walked this route last year and enjoyed the change of habitat so was keen to try it again.

There’s an active landfill here and gulls were coming and going all morning although it was a bit too early in the year for Med Gull, which I saw in good numbers last spring. Skylarks were singing up in the clouds, always great to hear and a reminder of how useful well-managed farmland is for these fast declining birds. When I first started visiting Brent Res, there were still a few pairs breeding there but they’re now long gone.

I had a couple of targets in mind for today and it didn’t take too long before I found my first: Yellowhammer, another declining breeding bird. I came across several singing birds in the hedgerows. One of their colloquial names is Cheese Bunting, not because of their yellow heads or their following of the Green Bay Packers but their tuneful ditty which includes the word cheese. 

Unfortunately there was no sign of any partridges, my other targets, but there are some other paths to explore which I’ll do on my next visit. I followed the Mardyke down to South Stifford after walking just over six miles and took the bus back up to Ockenden and the train home.

Yellowhammer (AKA Cheese Bunting)