The first week on October has already passed us by and yet there are still Migrant Hawkers and Common Darters out hunting in the sheltered spots! There is certainly lots of food about for them?

Will any darters make it into November or even December this year??

Let us know the latest that you see on on the reserve!

Common Darters

Migrant Hawker

All these fantastic images by Matthew Foakes

10-10-12

Not content with hunting children along the river wall, our Kestrel has been caught trying to take down inverts of ginormous proportions before sidling up to the mic for a spot of impromptu karaoke! Whatever will she get up to next?

(Julie Dent)

(Martin Gilbert)

10-10-12

For those of you in the dark on this one you can not beat a good bit of viz migging in the autumn!  But what is it I hear you ask?

Short for Visible Migration, it accounts for those days when birds are on the move in the right conditions and can be seen in daylight often in unexpected numbers.

You will all have read about the movement of Jays this autumn with RSPB and other birding organisations sending out press releases…

Our Stonechats have started to return or at the very least pass through on their way south to near continental climes. Do you remember last years colour-ringed female from Weybourne in Norfolk that spent a day along the river wall?  Well, she returned from her vacation south of Rainham somewhere and bred successfully for the first time back on her natal ground on the Norfolk coast.

So if  you see any Stonechats with blinged…

At long last it would appear that our female Kestrel is past the worse with her injured foot and now seems to to holding it up as she flies and hovers and it no longer looks swollen like before. The fact that she has survived so well with only one fully functional foot is testament to not only her hunting skill but her adaptability to take whatever they can find from worms and beetles to dragonflies and small mammals!

Another creature loving the the damp is the Smooth Newt and lots of youngsters have been seen making their way across the paths on wet days (of which there have been quite a few!). I suspect that these little predators are out hunting for food but are also starting to think about finding somewhere warm and snug under a log to hibernate for the cold winter months.

Even if you do not have a pond at home, it is worth putting…

It's that time of years again and the weekend just gone saw the return of a pair of Bearded Tits to the Dragonfly Pool. Hopefully they will linger and start to show weel ove the coming weeks.

Many thanks to V Pizzey (hope that this is your name!) for sending in the attached shot!

8-10-12

Sitting still, save for the occasional bob of it head, this Kingfisher is an expert when it comes to selecting a target and judging whether it is worth the effort to try and secure its breakfast. We have been watching our Mardyke Kingfishers for a while now and they seem to have a preference for small shrimps that seen to become active as the tide retreats from our stretch of the river.

(Mark Hart)

7-10-12

The Ivy is now in full bloom and the remaining butterflies are concentrated around it now. Red Admirals predominate with the odd Speckled Wood and Comma joining in with the throng of flies and late hovers and bees.

Just like a dead leaf... a Comma laps up the sweet Ivy sugar... (Mark Hart)

7-10-12

A wander around the trails at the moment would not be complete without an encounter with a stroppy Devils Coach Horse Beetle!  

As far back as the Middle Ages this species has been associated with the Devil and was known in Ireland as Dar Daol which translates as ‘the Devil’s beetle’. Many myths and superstitions have surrounded the Devil’s Coach Horse such as its ability to curse a person by pointing its upraised body…

This will be first in a regular monthly roundup of all the amazing wildlife seen on our lovely reserve.

Needless to say the juvenile Baillon’s Crake that showed from the 7th-23rd stole the show and raised speculation as to whether or not the species had bred on site. With nearly 3000 visits logged it was pleasing to note that birder behaviour was exemplary.

Marsh Harriers were a daily fixture with several juveniles…

Ever since I have been at Rainham Marshes (nearly ten years now!) we have had an interesting variety of alien or introduced species on the marsh ranging from foreign invasive plants such as Azola, plump Pheasants, hoards of Canada Geese and the ever increasing Ring-necked Parakeets, variable Harlequin Ladybirds and even feisty Chinese Mitten Crabs.

Unlike the other species they are not seen that often and we usually…

On Wednesday Andy T found a smart Redstart along the river wall and it showed quiet well on and off as it fed in the willows by the turnstile gate all the while shivering that fiery tail and making soft 'hooeeet' calls.

Two were also seen last weekend and these are probably the result of the big fall of migrants along the east coast the previous week that have slowly filtered down country in the ensuing days…

With so much dampness around, snails and slugs have been some what active during the day and you have to perform a merry dance around the trails to avoid catastrophic mollusc carnage!

Good luck!

www.youtube.com/watch

A great little piece of video by Mark Hart of a Garden Snail in flow flow..... just look at them muscles!

Yesterday we were visted by Olympic commentator Clare Balding who was on the marsh to record for her BBC Radio 4 series, Ramblings. 

Sam West,  (stage actor best known for his film and TV roles, which include memorable performances in Howards End) the son of actors Prunella Scales and Timothy West, is a regular visitor to the site and knows it well.   It provides a suitably wild and contradictory setting for exploring his…

Brenda popped in today to see us and asked if I could post the following note...

"I would just like to pass on my personal thanks to everybody at the RSPB and Rainham Marshes for all their kind words, cards and flowers.  I have been overwhelmed by the amount of people at Mick's funeral and know he too would have been surprised and grateful. It will be good to be back on the reserve soon..."

3-10-12

Another autumnal hairy, spiky caterpillar to add to the list! This one is a Knot Grass (which is one of its many food plants).

Over the years we have seen quite a few of them in the autumn although never an adult moth to the best of my knowledge!

Another great shot by Roger Kelly

3-10-12

Roger Kelly got real lucky the other day and managed to not only find but photograph the most amazingly orange Harvest Mouse I have ever seen as it clambered around in the phragmites looking for insects like some tiny citrus-monkey with its prehensile tail and grippy digits!

Very jealous!

Cool....

3-10-12

No real rain or driving wind today gave a few small birds the chance to move with Linnets, Goldfinches and a Lesser Redpoll around the carpark and Reed Buntings and Meadow Pipits moving south in ones and twos. House Martins and Swallows flitted across the marsh and it would seem that duck numbers had increased slightly with now four Pintail amongst the flocks of Teal, Shoveler and Wigeon. Two each of Ruff and Golden …

Today was a sad day for everyone at RSPB Rainham Marshes as we paid our last respects to one of our volunteers.

Mick Clayton was involved in many aspects of the reserve including hands on 'stuff' out on the marsh with various wardens over the years as well as being chief Lookerer (one who looks at the cattle to make sure that they are all ok!) and all round Mr Helpful.

He was not spared Reception duties and…

We had begun to notice several little piles of sawdust appearing in the board walk and wondered what it could be that was creating them. Dawn succeeded in finding out on Sunday and managed to capture the home builder - a small black and yellow wasp of the Ectemnius family - in the act of removing bits of chewed boardwalk to make a snug, safe home!

.

Industrious little beastie isn't it!

1-10-12

Not only did our new Publicity Officer, Martin Holm, start today but we have been inundated with flocks of House Martins and a few Swallow and Sand Martins moving steadily through all day in a bid to get as far south as possible before the next wave of awful south-westerly gales arrive....

And a juvenile Hobby is still around the car park area to take advantage of these determined travellers...

All three hirundines…