SPECTACULAR displays from autumn and winter visitors are giving a major bird reserve a new slant – and it's all right on Romford's doorstep.
Sitting on London's eastern boundary alongside the river Thames, RSPB Rainham Marshes boasts a supreme selection of wildlife each with their own incredible super sense.
Kestrels are doubly blessed with two superpowers. They can hover like helicopters and have special vision to track down prey.
Their eyes have adapted to detect ultra-violet light, which is bad news for voles and mice.
These rodents leave trails of urine along the paths they use, reflecting ultra-violet light and providing hungry kestrels with a glowing path straight to a tasty snack.
Another one of Rainham's residents – the green woodpecker – would have no trouble sucking the jam from the centre of a doughnut, thanks to its 10cm tongue, which is a third of the length of its body.
Armed with barbs, it is made solely for the purpose of licking up ants and their larvae.
Redwings are also calling overhead.
The arrival of meadow pipits and bearded tits hint at colder times ahead.
Lapwings and wigeon are starting to arrive, promising yet another superb winter spectacle as numbers will continue to grow over the next few months.
During high tide on the Thames, nearly 200 common redshank mingle with curlew, dunlin, greenshank , and other species including spotted redshank and grey plover.
