An afternoon jolly out to a still and sunny Rainham (in truth it is never either), ostensibly for work-related reasons, but an excuse for the majority of local Hackney birders (myself, Laurence, Tony and Jamie) to eat cake and stroll around admiring dragonflies and moaning about the wader-repellent water levels and lack of large gulls. Still, Green Sandpipers and Little Egrets did their level best to entertain, practically entering the hide, and a pair of Whimbrel roosting on posts by the river were in view while we slurped our tea. Despite its obvious ornithological appeal and proven track record, it's a hard place to love.
