A very brief visit to the patch this morning, en route to a planned day out at Rainham Marsh with Gary. Common Teal were up to 25, numbers should increase on an almost daily basis now until peaking around the new year; a single Tufted Duck flew south at the basin, I can't remember an August when this species has been so scarce here. Other highlights included a Sparrowhawk hunting the northern scrub, a Common Sandpiper at Bow Creek and a Grey Wagtail, scarce here lately, by the lock gates. We also added a new bird to the very short escape list; Black Swan, the second species of Austral wildfowl to have graced the basin this summer, following on from the drake Chestnut Teal. The only other escapes that I am aware of are Hartlaub's Gull and Alexandrine Parakeet, although some of the Pintail records from the late nineties are probably a bit suspect. Rainham delivered superb close-up views of a Hobby hunting dragonflies over Aveley Pools and a flock of 12 Avocets in Aveley Bay; the best was saved for last when Gary picked up a dark-phase Arctic Skua heading up the Thames in a brief rain shower, a new London bird for both of us and a fitting end to what had been a somewhat strange days birding.
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