Sitting at home doing very little when Brian texts to say 4 Sabine Gulls had been reported on Aveley Bay at Rainham Marshes.
A lifer for me and it's approx 18 miles from home, and I'm still debating whether to go or not!
Brian is already on route and eventually after tempting dad into it so am I.
The plan was to drive round to the reserve and walk round to Aveley Bay and hopefully connect with the birds there.
Luckily a phone call to Brian while on route allows us to change plans and head instead for Coldharbour lane and the small car park at the far end.
As we leave the car Brian is not far away, a short walk and we join him, along the footpath overlooking the Thames foreshore.
It seems all four birds had flown from the reserve and headed for the Thames, but only one was now in view.
I grab a quick look through his scope and after getting an idea of the general area I'm soon on the bird once more as it floats about on the water. It briefly takes flight and lands on the foreshore, before heading back out onto the water.
The sun is directly into our faces so we decided to head off towards the reserve and scope the bird with the sun behind us.
The plan only had one flaw, the bird having drifted down river towards the gathered birders decided to head back up a river as soon as we arrived.
A Common Seal was seen hauling out onto the foreshore close by, and a few Black Terns were watched flying through.
The foreshore also held many Black-headed Gulls, Common Terns and Black-tailed Godwits and 4 Dunlin dropped in just before we left.
Back home for dinner with a lifer in the bag, and no work tomorrow. Happy days.
Gratz on the lifer Jim; i was too late today and never managed to see them, would have been a lifer for me as well
ReplyDeleteThanks Lee
DeleteAll 4 birds had already flown from the reserve when I got there, and I only managed to see the single bird on the Thames.
Hope you get to see one soon, I'm sure you will.
All the best