Sunday 8 July 2012

June visit to Rainham, Marsh Warbler.

Rainham Marshes  is only 12 miles from home, but I don't visit there very much, it's a nice place, but it always seems to be freezing cold with the wind blowing across the Thames even on a nice day.
Also the opening hours are not to my liking.

A Marsh Warbler is reported here on bird guides so I get up early and set off with Brian & Jimmy.
When we get to the mound where it has been reported, a single birder is already set up, he gives us the thumps up that he has seen  it a little while ago and also heard it just a minute or so ago, we walk about a bit and it's not to long before we hear it's song again and get a target area to scan.
As I have said it's really cold and it seems longer than it probably was, when up pops the target bird to give us all a great little view, so glad we took time to come here now. This is a lifer for me and the boys so Bingo.

Before we leave we have been told  by Neville, who is a lad we see at different site's over the year that as he came up to the mound he heard a Grasshopper Warbler, as we all need it for a year tick we spend some time walking up & down the path, we have spread out now to give our self a better chance of getting it , This time Jimmy & I get to find it first and call out for Brian to come back to see it, another tick, great.

It's still early and not being far from home, we all think we should get home, and get warm and get some bacon butties inside us.
This sounds a really great idea until Brian's car decides to go on strike, it just shows you even a new Merc can stop working just like that.
So our 20 minute trip turns into a 3 hour wait, and a ride in the pick up truck back to Loughton.

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