Essex Tiger!

Jersey Tiger Euplagia quadripunctaria in the cordite at Rainham RSPB.  

A real one - at least in the sense that this Jersey Tiger was on the Essex side of Rainham RSPB Reserve, basking in the sunshine as it fed on a Buddleia. Until relatively recently this species' range in Britain was thought to be restricted to coastal south Devon and Dorset (Waring and Townsend 2003), but online searching reveals a number of sightings since then in London (mainly south of the river).

One of three Eurasian Whimbrel on the foreshore in Aveley Bay as the tide retreated.

It was arguably the highlight of today's visit to Rainham, a fair bit of which I spent in company with Martin Jordan and other local birders. Waders were more in evidence than they have been in recent weeks, as were raptors, and the tally included two Marsh Harriers, 4 Hobbies, 4 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Ruff, Dunlin, seven Common and six Green Sandpipers, three Eurasian Whimbrel, Curlew, four Black-tailed Godwit, three Greenshank, 14 Common Snipe, seven Yellow-legged Gulls, three Yellow Wagtails, two Whinchats and three Lesser Whitethroats.