The first Little Egret ‘on the deck’ at Thames Road Wetland since winter 2014/15 was seen in the ‘west pool’ on the 30th March. This apparent absence (though for much of the time the site is unmonitored) is perplexing given that the existence of a nearby night-time roost has recently been confirmed, but perhaps the fact that the resources at Crayford Marshes are probably so much better and hardly any further away means they have chosen to fly straight over of late.
Little Egret – a species returning to Britain after becoming extinct in medieval times.
A largely sunny and warm, but sometime overcast, afternoon had brought adult Common Lizards out of hibernation, and four were seen basking on various old car tyres.
Adult Common Lizard basking on an old car
tyre, Thames Road Wetland, 30th March 2016. (Photo: Chris Rose)
Other highlights were:
- 4 Cetti’s Warblers downstream of Maiden Lane again – 2 on the wetland, one near the pallet yard to the south and one halfway along By-way 105.
- A Peregrine Falcon flew over the site with prey, settled on the pylon on Stanham Farm but was having trouble subduing it so took off and landed again, then had to take off once more and drifted to the next pylon towards Crayford.
A London-bound train hurries past the east end of Thames Road Wetland on March 30th 2016 (Photo: Chris Rose)
Thames Road Wetland looking east. The muted winter straws of Reed and Reedmace bathed in sunshine as spring rainclouds cast shadows further to the south. (Photo: Chris Rose)
The River Wansunt at Thames Road Wetland, looking south. (Photo: Chris Rose)
Chris Rose, Site Manager
I wonder if the Little Egret is the same one my wife and I saw near the Days Lane entrance to Holly Oak Park on the morning of the 30th? It flew away in the direction of Parish Wood Park after being mobbed by some crows. I have a few pictures on my phone.
I too have see little egret in Holly Oak Park over the past two to three years – wonderful sight. It perched long enough for me to take a few pix on my phone