Some pictures from Friday's visit to Rainham Marshes.

A Marsh Harrier, carrying prey which looks like a Moorhen, was harried by a Lapwing.

A group of Little Egrets.

A Little Grebe.

A Goldfinch.

A Reed Bunting.

A Sedge Warbler.

A Tufted Duck with ducklings. There were four, but they were wandering around and I could only get two into the frame.

So not a great day for birds. But it was better for insects.

The star of the show was a Common Emerald Damselfly.

There was also a female Blue-Tailed Damselfly, in subdued colours and without the blue tail of the male.

A Four-Spotted Chaser dragonfly.

Two Ruddy Darters, a female ...

... and a male.

He moved his head around, constantly on the watch for passing insects.

A Small Tortoiseshell butterfly.

A large hoverfly, Helophilus pendulus. This is sometimes called a Sun Fly, from a misreading of Helophilus, 'marsh lover', as Heliophilus, 'sun lover'. It basks in the sun, but no more than other insects do.

A colourful Drinker moth caterpillar ...

... and the black caterpillar of a Peacock butterfly.

The larva of a Bryony Ladybird.

Finally, back to vertebrates. A Marsh Frog ...

... and a Common Lizard.