Perseverence!

I am on something of a mission to romantacise the wetlands of South Essex, and the industrial complexes into the shadow of which they all too often fall. I find that Thames path so beautiful, and I only discovered it a couple of days ago, as it snakes between the wide open river and the gentle marshes. Today I got on my bike after lunch, rediscovered its higher gears and hurled it along the meandering paths of the Ingrebourne Valley, around the low slopes of Ingrebourne Hill, which rang with the sound of what seemed like at least three duelling techno skylarks, and down into the throng and traffic of Rainham "Village," where a smart Mallard stood upon an upturned shopping trolley in a tiny patch of Reed swamp, a Rainham Marshes "Proper." From here I took the sustrans path across the corner of the Nature Reserve. No Short Eared Owl today, however. The sky was blue, and calm. I was going to see the Bearded Tits. Linnets perched on the perimeter fence of the landfill site. 

As I arrived in the reserve, I noted threatening changes in the weather. The wind picked up, and the sun dissappeared behind a wall of cloud which had risen up from the other side of the railway lines, and as the cloud rose, and lyrics from a Crowded House song played ironically in my mind, my doubts rose.

As I walked past the reedbeds, I spoke to a couple of birders wandering along the path, who all told me that the bearded tits had been showing well an hour ago, but hadn't been seen since. The wind rose still, and, had you asked me then, I would have told you it was the point I knew I wouldn't see them. Possibly ever. I was a little heartened to see a couple of adorable little grebes apparantly beginning to display to each other among the reeds.  I wandered back and forth a little and heard a rustle at my feet. I looked down, and into the reeds, hoping to see perhaps a water vole, or some other mammal, harvest mice have apparantly been seen in the reeds on the reserve before. At no point did I expect to see, part concealed by the stems of the reeds, a female Bearded Tit. They flew along a little and I was joined by a couple of other birders, with their 'scopes and cameras, and eventually both birds appeared and began feeding on one of the Typha seed heads, scattering the fluffy seeds everywhere. The male bird had a bright yellow beak, very conspicuous, and a huge moustache, like a cartoon Mexican cowboy, on his blue-grey face. They were a little larger, perhaps, than a long tailed tit, and were very active, throwing the fluff of the Reedmace about all over the place.

  By now however the reserve was beginning to close. I'd taken loads of photos, and as I left the drawbridge at the visitors centre and Fortress Purfleet was being locked down for the night. Security there for a patch of wet grassland and a "Big Sky" seems a bit excessive. I paused at a spot where some old wooden benches had been placed for a view. The sun found a break in the clouds, and I looked at what is a large expanse of wet grassland and phragmites swamp. A peacock butterfly flew by and a couple of bumblebees attended the few early spring flowers. A robin was singing and the grass of the marsh looked very green, it will only be a few weeks before the new phragmites begins to emerge replacing the brown of last years growth. The skies were indeed huge, and the wide flat marsh spread out underneath me, very even outside of the land enclosed by the main path and boardwalks. Suburbanised indeed! The RSPB has shown genius in allowing the public access to only part of the reserve. A few mute swans were grazing on the open country and my little perch afforded the best views in the house of the Godwit flock. I hoped for a raptor but I saw none.

I reached the Ferry Lane end of the reserve and crossed the access road -Coldharbour Lane- into the other section of the reserve. I paused a little, watching the sun go down, and engaged in breif but freindly conversation with other passing birders and a local gentleman with a can of lager. And fair play to him, a beer would have gone down nicely.

I completed my day with another race home against the light.