As expected after the initial rush of
January to see all the regular wintering species, locate the scarcer visitors,
and luck-in on the rest, February was always going to be a slower and steady
month. I personally added 12 species to
bring my total to 103, with our Bird Race team (The Drift Migrants) reaching 104.
Cycling around the landfill on the way to
work paid off when I located two Yellowhammers (92) in the scrub and grassland
on the southern side of the concrete barge bay on the 2nd. It was actually a
whole month before I eventually saw a Kingfisher (93) with one flying along a
channel at Rainham West on the 3rd. Short-eared Owls and Water
Pipits continued to be a regular feature on the reserve but continued searching
of the river added Spotted Redshank (94) and Caspian Gull (95) on the 6th.
By the second week, Oystercatchers (96)
started returning inland with one downriver on the 9th, however
winter was very much still with us as a Grey Plover appeared on the river mud
on the 13th. Later that day I found my first really good bird of the
year, and a true sea bird. I couldn’t really believe I was seeing a Fulmar (98)
but there it was drifting upriver on the rising tide past my living room window.
I alerted Howard at mission control and several Rainham birders picked it up a
few minutes later. This was only the third record. After heading the short distance to the
visitor centre upon news of a Brambling at the garden feeding station, which I
failed to see, an adult Mediterranean Gull (99) was a welcome addition. On
returning the following the day, the female Brambling (100) was more
cooperative and showed very well at times.
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