Woodland Pheasants !

The possibility of a Firecrest Sighting tempted me back across the River Thames to Rainham RSPB, unbelievably no traffic holdups. the reserve were reporting a possible three Firecrests on the reserve, a species I don't see very often, and a late report of a Short Earred Owl returning for the winter would be a bonus.

So a slow walk around the woodland and Cordite store was on the cards, but no luck, just a few Chaffinchs, the woodland feeding station looked promising, good numbers of Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch a Goldcrest visiting the woodland feeders.

The local Pheasants have worked out that theres a free meal available from the spillage around these feeders, when the sun is shining, the cock Pheasants look pretty spectacular.

The view in front of the Ken Barrett Hide was birdless , just a distant Marsh Harrier.
Little Egrets are quite numerous here and scattered widely around the reserve, always worth checking out. these two were chasing each other around the reedbeds.

Little Egrets in dispute.

At the Shooting Butts hide, the usual birds in front of the hide, Wigeon numbers building up.

Called into the MDZ hide on the offchance the Kingfisher was around, had two Kingfisher fly-bys, but did not perch on any off the strategically placed fishing perches.

The Purfleet hide produced a few Snipe on the muddy fringes of the islands.

Snipe

So , no Firecrests, no Short Earred Owls on this occassion, but winter has only just begun,
plenty of time to see the Owls.