Today's visit to Rainham Marshes, as hoped,  produced a Short-Eared Owl just before sunset. It flew around the reserve, occasionally pouncing into the grass ...

... and then settled on an electric fence in front of a red-leafed bush, beautifully illuminated by the setting sun.

Here is a video of it looking around, a bit shaky because it was shot at an enormous zoom level hand-held.

There are now two Cattle Egrets at Rainham Marshes. Both were flying about.

The cows are still not letting them pick off and eat their parasites, though there has been a single sighting of an egret on a cow's back. This bird contented itself with finding insects in the grass.

This is just an ordinary Grey Heron, but pleasingly reflected.

A Ruff probed the mud for small edible creatures.

There were plenty of Teal.

Several Stonechats flitted around the bushes.

I left as the sun set over the Thames estuary.