Bearded Tit poses on the boardwalk at Rainham Marshes

On Monday my camera and I went for another walk round RSPB Rainham Marshes nature reserve.  The sun was shining and it was quite a still day - so I was lucky enough to encounter a male Bearded Tit that popped out of the reed bed for a few minutes in order to search for tasty titbits on the wooden boardwalk.

At first he was in the normal pose birds get into when I am around - with his backside facing me while he scoured the ground looking for tasty morsels.

He then turned sideways so that I could get a better photograph.

He then hopped around and was looking in the other direction.

The bird flew off into the reeds for a few seconds and then popped out again and began looking for food again.

 He had got such an amazing face and I love his little yellow-ringed eye.

This last photograph shows how tiny the Bearded Tit was and how tall the reeds were.  Once he had flitted back into the reed bed, there was no chance of me seeing him again.  I knew where he was for a short while as I could see his movement as he hopped from reed to reed and the stems swayed with his weight.  Then all went still!

November wildlife and nature at Rainham Marshes RSPB nature reserve

At the beginning of November I went on the train from London's Fenchurch Street station to Purfleet and then walked along a short part of the Thames Path to Rainham Marshes RSPB nature reserve.

Just before I reached the reserve I came across a group of sparrows in a twiggy bush with just a scattering of leaves remaining on it's almost bare branches.

This plant covered with autumn leaves and lots of red berries was at the top of the path that is just outside the visitor centre.

A male Stonechat was hopping around on the reeds in front of the Purfleet hide.

He was joined by a female Stonechat.

There were plenty of teasel plants and the feathery remains of tall cow parsley dotted around the edges of the boardwalk.

A Kestrel was obligingly sitting on the branch of a plant that was covered with red rose hips.

In the distance was a pretty shrub that was covered with lovely yellow leaves.

Flocks of Greylag geese flew regularly into the reserve during my walk.

Teal and Wigeon were resting on the muddy banks or swimming in the water of the lagoon in front of the Shooting Butts hide.

Here there was also a solitary Black-tailed Godwit.

A Pied Wagtail was hopping about in the mud on a distant bank.

As I turned a corner during my walk along the boardwalk round the reserve, I disturbed a pair of Bearded Tits.  They abruptly disappeared into the reeds, but I was very lucky as they were kind enough to pop out again in order for me to take a quick photo of their cute bottoms before disappearing permanently.

As the reeds looked like this, I knew there was no chance of me finding the Bearded Tits again, but I was grateful for just that very short glimpse of them.

Around the other end of the reserve, at Aveley Flash, there were lots of Shelducks standing around in the water while a Marsh Harrier perched on reeds at the edge of the lagoon.

Further round the reserve I saw a Ruff looking for food in the mud.  The photo was taken from the Ken Barrett hide.

Still in the Ken Barrett hide, I was fascinated by the industrial nature of Rainham Marshes - wind turbines and lots of electricity pylons.

A flock of geese flew across the blades of a wind turbine.

 A Pintail drake swam across the water in front of the KB hide.

Back near the visitor centre, I took this photograph of the London skyline in the distance.

A Magpie perched in the leaves of a tree that was covered with berries.

Back in the Purfleet hide, I saw lots of Lapwings in the distant lagoon.