Rainham Marshes

Hi everyone,

Just a quick blog to let you know that we had lovely views of a spoonbill yesterday (Saturday 19 June)!

 It was in the middle of Aveley Marsh (the bit you can see from the Purfleet hide) yesterday!

Spoonbill by Howard Vaughan - taken at Rainham, but this photo was taken earlier this year

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One of our fabulous volunteers Pat had a nice walk around the reserve on Friday and wanted to share his sightings:

Hello everyone,

My highlights from Friday were:- swift, cuckoo, oystercatcher, avocet, lapwing, redshank, sparrowhawk, marsh harrier, bearded tit, sand martin, swallow, house martin, cetti's warbler, chiffchaff, sedge warbler, reed warbler, blackcap, and whitethroat.

The swifts whirling overhead are…

Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)

We’ll be opening the shop and cafe at the later time of 12 noon today, Thursday 17 June, due to team training. ️We apologise for any inconvenience.

The nature reserve and toilets can still be accessed as normal from 9.30 am

We’ll be opening the shop and cafe at the later time of 12 noon on Thursday 17 June, due to team training. ️We apologise for any inconvenience.

The nature reserve and toilets can still be accessed as normal from 9.30 am

Thank you!

I got into work a little early today and took myself out onto the Southern Trail for a short walk before things warmed up too much.  My hayfever was already bad so I stopped to rest my eyes for a while and decided to take the opportunity to open my senses to what I could experience around me.

Being on the borders of a marsh always gives you the best chance of a wide selection of wildlife but could I identify more than…

If you love talking to people and sharing your passion about nature, this may be the role for you. We are looking for a  six month, part time, Centre Assistant role here at Rainham Marshes.

Part of the Thames Estuary, not far from the bustling streets of London, Rainham Marshes is a haven for all kinds of wildlife - birds, water voles, dragonflies and more. We have a wonderful visitor centre with cafe, shop toilets, bike…

If you are free on Sunday 27 June, 10 am-1 pm - we need help with a litter pick!

With the exceptionally high tides recently a huge amount of rubbish has washed up on the foreshore of the Thames on the River Wall section of the reserve.

Picture by Howard Vaughan.

We need your help.

Join us on Sunday 27 June - meet other nice people and get your lungs pumped up with fresh air and enjoy the beauty of this particular river…

Morning all – just an update on where we are with access to the reserve and such like at the moment...

• The reserve is open from 9.30am to 5pm Tuesday through to Sunday. We are currently still closed on Mondays – and don’t forget we lock the car park gates at 5pm too!
• The shop is open for business as usual for all your bird food, bird care, gift and books but only selling binoculars and telescopes is…

After a bitterly cold and grey May it was nice to have a little warmth at the end there has been plenty to see and hear out on the trails over the last few days.

The marsh is now full of breeding birds with Reed, Sedge and Cetti’s Warblers in full song along with some smart male Reed Buntings at last. 

Cetti's warbler - Bob Cooper

Reed Warbler - Alan Chown

Reed Bunting - HTV

Bearded Tits are having a good…

Planning a trip to the seaside this weekend?

Our beach nesting birds (like these little tern chicks below) are particularly vulnerable at this time of year. Help us keep them safe by reading our quick tips on how to #ShareOurShores.

https://essexwt.org.uk/what-we-do/protecting-wildlife/projects/share-our-shores…

From tomorrow, our Purfleet hide and Ken Barrett hide will reopen. Please maintain social distancing and wear a face covering when using the hides. All doors and windows will have been opened by staff and volunteers ready for you.

Well that was quite a week...

As I posted on Tuesday, the week got off to a great start with the Spoonbills still swishing back and forth across the pools with crests blowing in the breeze while the Black-winged Stilt found that morning had gone by Wednesday morning but not before entertaining quite a few visitors.   This was the fifth record for the reserve and the first since a pair in May 2017 that also stayed for just…

We are now beginning to receive more new products for this year’s Spring and Summer offering, including lots of new book titles and even a selection of artisan wild bird nesting pockets.

Our scarf collection has increased with some new designs and colours, and don’t forget if you buy 2, you can save £10.

For those relaxing moments, we now have a mindful Bird Colouring Book and 2 new 1000 piece jigsaw…

It has been a good few days on the reserve albeit in chilly conditions with the first Hobby of the season dashing around and two Spoonbills with extravagant plumes spending the last few days swooshing around the pools.

Spoonbill - Russ Sherriff

Lapwings now have chicks and the Redshanks and Avocets are very noisy at the moment.  A Red Kite has been patrolling each day and another new one glided over this morning. It is…

Burntwick Island lies in the Medway estuary, nestled between Chatham Docks and the Isle of Sheppey. For the last 25 years, this shingled rump off the north Kent coast has been home to one of the largest colonies of Sandwich terns on the east coast of England.

At its peak in 2003, this amazing colony supported 700 breeding pairs of these impressive seabirds. With just 12,000 pairs in the UK, the colony is hugely important…

Despite the cold wind and rain, the always early flowering coltsfoot are out, and providing a welcome splash of spring colour. The first sand martin of the year was seen here yesterday too.

With water levels now dropping, our main trail around Aveley Marsh will reopen this week, Thurs-Sun, 9.30am-5pm. Walking boots or wellies still recommended.

Our hides, café and shop remain closed.

Are you aged between 18-29?

Would you like to support the RSPB and other conservation organisations with a project looking at how to better engage young people as volunteers to monitor wildlife on farms for conservation? Then we want to hear your views! We are looking to speak with a range of young people from all walks of life including people who have volunteered before, have no volunteering experience, and a high to…

The sun is currently streaming in my window, and the snow of a couple of weeks ago is forgotten. It feels like spring may well be here soon!

You may see birds in the garden singing away or investigating around your garden. Have you seen any signs of spring in your gardens on on your local walks?

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Feeding Birds

This time of year can have quite varied weather - which can make it difficult for garden birds to find…