Afternoon all

Sorry but escaped to Dorset and Hampshire for a long weekend. Visited our wonderful heathland reserve at Arne on Sunday and spent the day wandering around the magnificent site seeing Dartford Warblers, Woodlarks, Stonechats, lots of woodland birds, Buzzards and Sandwich Terns out over the shimmering Pool Harbour. We found two Fishing spiders (formally known at Raft Spiders) and managed to find the first…

Not quite sure what happened to 'spring' to today other than it obviously sprung a leak. I do not think that those migrants seen (which included Yellow Wagtail, both Reed and Sedge Warblers and a brief female Ring Ouzel) were particularly impressed with the drizzly rain and howling, cold wind.

As for the frogs.... not a day for lounging around soaking up the golden rays of springtime.

This particular beast is…

We were lucky enough this evening to witness the birth of a lovely new calf into the lush grassland of Rainham Marshes. She did not seem to struggle for long before delivering a healthy baby. Brenda was able to capture the few minutes immediately after it was born and its first tentative steps in the big scary world around it. Dad was looking on with an expression of quiet disinterest....

'Blooming 'eck! What happened…

Nicole Burgum took these great pictures of a little shiny beetle on the 25th March. Been meaning to find out what it is so as I have been rather slack I passed them over to Annie Jackson (who works in our RSPB shop and just happens to be super keen on bugs and the like) and had an answer in minutes... now that's service for you!

It is Amara aenea a very pretty little sun beetle.

Please do not tread on the Sun Beetles…

Evening all

Another good weekend with a few more migrants sneaking in including our first Reed Warbler, Yellow Wagtail and House Martin of the year. The Bearded Tits continue to be seen which is encouraging and a single Avocet was seen. Our immature male Marsh Harrier showed well yesterday and much to our surprise the female Hen Harrier is still being seen.

Marsh Harrier (Jonathan Wasse)

Female Sparrowhawk…

Afternoon all

Have just uploaded three more videos from Richard Duhrsen onto Youtube featuring some of the marshes denizens!

Just click on the links to follow:

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With slightly warmer days and green shoots beginning to appear in the ditch margins, our healthy population of Water Voles has begun to venture out and about. Seven were seen on just one walk on Tuesday and this includes independent youngsters a third of the size of the 'who ate all the pies?' adults!

Look at those clever little hands! (Nicole Burgum)

Possibly the cutest photo ever taken at Rainham of a…

Spring is slowly leaking into the country with little inklings of the huge build up of migrants that must be stuck in North Africa and southern Europe. Today saw the continued presence of a pair of Garganey along with a small flurry of Sand Martins, two Swallows, three Little Ringed Plovers, Sedge Warbler, Yellow Wagtail and a notable increase to 12 male Blackcaps. A small flock of Black-tailed Godwits and a single Golden…

Yes, I know that it is April 1st but apparently the head will be going back on the wind turbine next Tuesday......