Saturday: After being in the doldrums for a number of weeks, the area showed signs of life today. Firstly I finally got to see the elusive Water Rail that has been present most of this year. It showed very well for about five minutes in front of the NW reed-bed. EIDB area has a bit of a reputation for early spring migrants, but the weather (cold NE wind) is hardly suitable. Still you never know, so I scanned across the Pura Foods site with a bit more purpose than usual. I picked up a flock of Pied Wagtails, hoping that a White would be with them. Somthing spooked them and they flew towards me, all Pieds, but 17 of them, the largest count for the area. The Pura Foods site is looking very good, and I will be surprised if it does not pull some good birds down this spring. There were some signs of spring, violets were in bloom in the copse, and Wrens were singing heartily.
Sunday 6th: If anything colder than yesterday, the NE wind was stronger. There seems to be a kind of Narnia syndrome going on the moment, always winter but never spring. I arrived on site just as 4 Greylag Geese flew over, then another two followed, the first sightings this year. About 100 Teal and 2 Redshanks were on Bow Creek and 2 argentatus Herring Gulls were present. Back at the Dock there was no sign of the Water Rail and not much sign of anything else. A single Oystercatcher was along the Thames, another first for the year.
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