Rainham Marshes

Seeing the year out at Rainham Marshes on a cool winters day with the sun shining and the breeze blowing was a perfect way of ending a year that has been a bit of a struggle.  Was thrilled to have bumped into @dhpainter and Steff where we took to prizing out as much as we could on the eve of a new year.

Keen to catch up with the Dartford Warbler, and after a short vigil, the male bird appeared in the bramble closest to the gate by the conservation area and showed reasonably well for around 20 minutes in the company of a pair of Stonechat of which there were plenty dotted around the reserve.

A Barn Owl was seen distantly sitting in the box, but against the sun, views weren't ideal.

A short heavy shower passed through while we sat in the shooting butts hide where two Water Pipit alighted from the scrape before circling, where one returned allowing decent views from where we were sat.

Moving on post-rainstorm, the skies cleared, but the wind had picked up.  A stunning rainbow arched over Wennington as we progressed round.

 Marsh Harrier graced the large reedbed at Wennington with both a male and female there, but the Short-eared Owl were capturing the attention of those assembled to see these amazing birds in full attack mode.  Only two were seen but there are more in the area.