Birding,Essex styleeeee

Today i decided to stick to the South Essex Coast,Essex Wildlife Trust site Thurrock Thameside,which is pretty much opposite from where i was yesterday.The day promised to be a washout with Heavy rain forecast all day,or at least thats what the weather man said last night,luckily for me i have been around long enough to know not to take the weather report too seriously but on waking up and seeing a dull day,i decided to head to somewhere with a hide,that i could plot up in whatever the weather....
I arrived just after 9 in drizzly conditions,a Stonechat was patrolling the fence along with a Meadow Pipit as i entered the Car Park.I quickly went into the visitor centre to see what had been reported recently,A Ringtail Hen Harrier was the highlight so i hoped of a shot or two of such a bird,especially as the one yesterday was too far away....
Like yesterday,the tide was way out but this didn't distract me,was nice to be back at this site and with the weather better than forecast i had a few waders in front of the hide,most were too far to photograph but i did manage some shots of Curlew and a few of the Blackwits in flight,although they arent that good.
Other waders included 4 Common Sandpipers way out on the edge of the river at Low tide,cracking little birds and a little unexpected,2 Avocets,c70 Golden Plover,200 plus Lapwings,14 Knot,c50 Oystercatchers and around 40 Dunlin.
I didn't manage any Birds of Prey apart from 2 Kestrels and once i had left the hide in the pouring rain a Peregrine finally came over but it was too dark and my camera was packed away,bloody typical.
They have put feeders up to the left of the hide,was just a few tits that were using them with the occasional Robin but hopefully these may afford good photo opportunities once they are part of the furniture.
Without doubt the birds of the day were 4 Bewicks Swans going up river towards London,my first non mute Swans on the Thames for a long while,i got some pics of them and initially i thought they were Whoopers as they looked big but being over 1/2 a mile out and not getting a decent view in my scope i was unsure,have just had a look at the photos and am now convinced they are Bewicks,either way a good bird for the Thames,worth going out for....
After a few hours and even half hour or so of sunshine the heavens opened just as i was going to go to the centre roof to look for the Short Eared Owl(s),so i went in,got a cup of tea and waited for the rain to stop,eventually it did and i went outside to be hit by a force 8 gale blowing so i gave up and went home,even the hardiest short eared Owl,would be grounded in that sort of weather,tomorrow is looking better though weather wise,unless the weatherman gets it spectacularly wrong.I am up at 4.30am in the morning to go to Heathrow,should be back by 6.30-7am so i think a days birding somewhere is on the cards,will decide where in the morning....