Rainham Marshes twitching Woodchat Shrike

  I was down in London for the weekend visit my friend David Darrel-Lambert and so we had a bit of time to do some birding around the area. We explored a few nice locations, including hearing Nightingales around East Tilbury and seen a brilliant summer-plumaged Curlew Sandpiper on the Isle of Sheppey.

  At Rainham Marshes there had been a Woodchat Shrike present for a few days prior to my arrival so we headed there one afternoon to see the bird. It was a very nice bird in its spring plumage, and was showing well, often perching out in the open and hunting.

  Obviously Rainham is an excellent reserve in its own right. Although the birding was more limited with it being mid-afternoon we still enjoyed a few birds such as hunting Hobbies and some very showy Bearded Tits. Other goodies included Common Lizards sitting on the fences, Marsh Frogs being abundant in the ditches and very nice Green Hairstreaks in the hawthorn trees along the edge of the footpaths. 

-Woodchat Shrike

-Green Hairstreak

-Marsh Frog

-Common Lizard

Species List:
Rainham Marshes RSPB: Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Common Shelduck, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, Mallard, Common Pochard, Tufted Duck, Common Pheasant, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Stock Dove, Common Wood Pigeon, Common Cuckoo, Common Swift, Water Rail, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Pied Avocet, Northern Lapwing, Common Redshank, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, European Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Common Tern, Great Cormorant, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Western Marsh Harrier, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Eurasian Hobby, Peregrine Falcon, Woodchat Shrike, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Northern Raven, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Skylark, Bearded Reedling, Sedge Warbler, Common Reed Warbler, Sand Martin, Common Chiffchaff, Cetti's Warbler, Long-tailed Tit, Eurasian Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Common Blackbird, European Robin, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Pied Wagtail, Common Linnet, European Goldfinch, Common Reed Bunting,