Amazingly another visitor has caught our yawning Black-tailed Godwit in action! Clive Watts even captured Rhynchokinesis on film and the bird did it several times.
Clive has stitched together several instances of the bird doing this in a short video. The longer one below is also well worth a watch!
Bendy Bill (Clive Watts)
Shock! Horror! An ok bird picture by me!
A Merlin was seen briefly yesterday morning. They rarely perch up here and most views are of a one dashing about over the fields after a stray Meadow Pipit or Skylark. Bill Potter is one of my volunteers here and captured this amazing footage of a one at Oare Marshes in North Kent recently. It had obviously just eaten as there are fluffy feathers and some blood around the bill. Anyway enjoy this close up view and have one of thise 'wish I was there' moments.
And so another year ends... have just totted things up and I reckon that we ended up on about 192 species for the year (18 behind the staggering 2010). It was not a truly great year but had some memorable moments, not least the Slaty Backed Gull (new to GB) in January and February, another Alpine Swift in April, Manx Shearwater and both Guillemots and Razorbill in the autumn, a double rare tern day in August with Whiskered and White-winged Black Terns seen and a scattering of notables including Waxwings, Ring Ouzels and a flythrough Red-rumped Swallow that was actually picked up by Kev on the south side of the Thames leaving Rainham and heading across to his side! Long-tailed Skua was the only other new species added to the ever growing site list!
Tomorrow is not only another day but another year so eyes at the ready and we head out tomorrow to start all over again! I have a good feeling about 2012 on the marsh so fingers crossed...
Will leave you with some images from Les Harrison today...
Happy New Year
Bearded Tit
Wigeon
Pheasant
Now, all the books say that one of the key behavioural features of Jack Snipe is that they habitually bob... Common Snipe on the other hand does not; well certainly in my experience!
Mmmm... wrong again!
Have a butchers at this little video clip taken by Clive Watts from the Ken Barrett Hide and you will see otherwise!
Our new benches for the Cordite store woodland arrived recently (in giant kit form!) and Dhruti and Ian spent Thursday putting them up. Three are in place and will provide you wit the opportunity for a contemplative stop at any time of year.
Note the member of staff giving approriate directions to her volunteer.....
The two lecterns that have been up for some time now have my interp boards in.... they look very good but sorry that they are the insect ones and not birds and berries! Nevermind, just nice to have the gaps filled.
Many thanks to the Veolia Havering Riverside Trust for their support in this project.