Rainham, not been in ages.

Well, the Olympic closing ceremony is almost upon us, what on earth am I going to do with myself? Go birding? An excellent idea if I don't say so myself. In anticipation of what this might be like, I went on a couple of practice runs this weekend. It was quite pleasant actually, strolling around with only bins and a 7kg camera....

It's been quiet, there have not been many birds to point a camera at despite lugging it around, but I managed a trip to Rainham, a trip to Oare, and a trip to Minsmere. Of these, Rainham was the most fun, and there were actually birds, including a gazillion Little Egrets and a really close Marsh Harrier. Still not close enough to get a decent photo, but you can't win them all. It started off over Wennington Marsh (of Slaty-backed Gull fame), and gradually came closer and closer, flushing everything in its path - Green Sandpipers, Greenshank, a couple of Golden Plover and loads of Snipe. It was good to be back, and to see a few bits and pieces, but I still feel it's a winter reserve for the most part.

A juvenile Little Grebe posed nicely at the western end of the boardwalk, so close in fact that I could not focus close enough and had to whip out my trusty extension tube, and near the visitor centre a Water Vole seemed pretty happy chewing on a reed stem. I was pretty happy too, until I found out the visitor centre had run out of Bakewell Tart. Disaster.