As the Baillon’s Crake (Porzana
pusilla) had remained at Rainham Marshes RPSB reserve in East London/Essex
all week, we headed there on Saturday 15th hoping for at least a glimpse. We
missed the first sighting of the day around 06:25 but after a long wait in the
busy Shooting Butts Hide, good views were obtained for around 20 seconds at
13:55 as it hurriedly swam and clambered along the edge of the small channel.
The encounter with this elusive species reminded me of the picture in Mark
Cocker’s Bird Britannica showing, in
complete contrast, a bird on a cobbled steam bank at Mowbray Park in Sunderland
in 1989. It was completely oblivious to a surrounding group of observers and
apparently so tame that on occasion, it would walk over the feet of the
spectators!
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| Shooting Butts Hide |
Rather than hang around for an unknown period of hours in
the hope of longer views, after 30 minutes we left and enjoyed the sun and
birds around the rest of the reserve. Around 65 species were seen including six
species of raptor Hobby (3+ catching Migrant Hawkers), Marsh Harrier (m),
Buzzard (2), Peregrine (2), Kestrel (4+), and a Sparrowhawk. Other birds
included 12 Little Egret, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 5 Greenshank, 12 Black-tailed
Godwit, 4 Dunlin, juv Garganey, over-flying Yellow Wagtail and Redpoll,
Yellow-legged Gull and Water Rail.
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| London skyline and River Thames from Rainham Marshes |
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