I am a creature of habit.
I've usually planned how to spend my weekends before it's even got to mid week.
This last week was no different. A much loved family member was having surgery on Thursday so my plans today were to visit a local site near to the hospital in the morning, then be at the door ready for visiting hours at 3pm.
However last Tuesday I started coming down with a cold (or man-flu or wine-flu depending on how you see it).
As with most colds, they take three days to start, three days to stay and three days to finish and by Friday (yesterday) although I was feeling better than I had the previous few days, it was decided that I was probably still infectious and was advised not to visit my family member in hospital.
So last night I decided on a whim to visit RSPB Rainham today instead.
The latest sightings there included Dartford Warbler and Short-eared Owls. I had already been privileged to see a SEO whilst on my way to work earlier in the week around the Heathrow area but naturally didn't have a camera with me. I secretly hoped I would be able to get a few photos of one today. And even though I have seen Dartford Warblers in the past, I have never got a photo of one. So armed with a bottle of Day Nurse, several tissues and my usual birding rucksack packed with camera, several lenses, bins, bottled water and snacks, I was on my way to Rainham at 7.30am.
What I wasn't expecting to see was a couple of the WWT London 'Sunday Club' crowd, John and Martin, along with John's mate Ian......
It seems we all had the same last minute whim to visit Rainham. Martin Honey was also on site and I briefly saw and greeted Dominic Mitchell in the café.
It seemed that Rainham was definitely the place to be today.
The Dartford Warbler was still being reported so I made my way round to the area it was last seen but despite hanging around I couldn't find it, and nor could the other eight birders who were loitering in the same area. A couple of hours later I bumped into John, Martin and Ian again who said it was showing really well in exactly the same location. I went back and even with double the numbers of birders being present, I still didn't see it.
Dip.
But to make up for it today I kept finding one of my favourite little birds. Stonechats. They were everywhere on site today. Literally everywhere. I counted about fifteen. Some were feeding with a large Goldfinch flock by the board walks. A couple were seen by the MDZ hide. At least three were topping along the cycle tracks. And a pair were seen where the invisible Dartford Warbler was skulking........
The only other birds that provided me with good clear views were a pair of Reed Buntings......
There was a distant Buzzard sitting on the usual box across the marshes.....
and a distant Kestrel found a good perch to eat and observe......
As always at Rainham flocks of birds are often flushed up, whether it be by a raptor or the tide coming in on the Thames.
A large loose skein of Greylag Geese went over, circled and then settled....
and made me remember I hadn't taken my camera body in for a good clean to get rid of the dust spots !!!
A smaller group (or 'prayer' or 'pantheon' if you're into collective nouns for birds) of Godwits went over and really high-lighted my cameras dust spots......
and a solo Curlew flew over as the tides come in (and again showed me how I really must take the time to visit Park Cameras and get my camera cleaned).....
I met up with John, Martin and Ian again at 3pm along the sea wall to look for Short-eared Owls. Eight were reported a couple of days ago and three had been seen flying from their long grass roosts this morning, so we were quite hopeful that at least one would drop back in.
I was piddling about taking the below photo of at least four wader species on the pools in front of the Purfleet Hide..........
when Martin and Ian called out a SEO coming in from a distance but heading our way.
It was too far to get any photos and then it dropped down on to the site. We made our way along the upper path and found other birders had located it not too far from the MDZ hide.
It was distant, which made trying to get a photo with my 150-300mm lens, quite a challenge. But I managed a couple of record shots...
Once it landed it made no attempt to move on.
Another SEO had also been seen further up the sea wall path and it was apparently a bit closer for viewing, so I made my way up there and managed to grab two photos........
and then a third SEO appeared from out of the reeds and took flight down the Thames.........
So a big Glory tick for me with the SEOs.
Three birds with a possible fourth that was quartering as I walked back to the Information Centre.
The first owl was the usual pale species that I'm familiar with but the second and third owls were much darker. My photos aren't great but you can see the difference in the colouration. It's not a trick of the light as the sun was more or less behind me for all six photos.
Checking on London Birders Wiki site on the way home it was nice to see another eight SEOs had been spotted within the London area today alone and I haven't even counted how many have been seen and reported during the last week.
Considering I hadn't planned to visit Rainham today, I'm very glad I did. I might have dipped on the Dartford but I gloried big time on the owls.
Also heard but not seen today were at least five Cettis Warblers and two Water Rails. And along with my dip on the Dartford Warbler I was ten minutes too late to see a male Marsh Harrier too. But I did get record shots of probably the latest sightings I've ever recorded of a Peacock butterfly and a Southern or Migrant Hawker.....
It was also great to bump into John, Martin and Ian and share the usual banter.
And I'm pleased to report that my beloved hospitalised family member is finally on the long road to recovery and feeling a bit better today and I'll be germ free enough to visit her on Tuesday.
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