Having been away for a couple of weeks I have only just noticed that the regular Wednesday, Friday and Sunday Walks have all 'gone missing' from our Events Page. All three are still on. Wednesday at 0930, Friday at 1000 and the fortnightly Sunday Stroll at 1300 including tomorrow!

I have chased our web department to try to sort out this problem and sorry for any confusion caused!

11-5-13

Now that the Marsh Frogs are going full tilt out on the reserve it is not really surprising that they are getting picked off by a variety of predators.

There they sit busily belching out the froggy mating blues when, whoosh, they are airborne and winging their way to a nearby nest to fed to hungry avian offspring...

If you have seen anything eating our Marsh Frogs can you please email Lucia at luciasmailuk@yahoo.co…

Our talented Willow Warbler was still singing this morning as I came in. Certainly worth a listen if you are visiting today. Jerry Hoare found this blog post yesterday about another mixed singer and the possible reason behind it.... Click here for a read.

The Lesser Whitethroat was also rattling away in the Cordite and from the photos received below, has been showing very well this week!

(Russ Sherriff)

(Marianne…

We are still operating a limited opening system for the Marshland Discovery Zone to try and give the Kingfishers the best chance of success. Things are progressing well and I suspect that he female may now even be incubating as she is spending far longer in the burrow.

If you are visiting we are trying to open the MDZ between 11am and 3pm but please ask at Reception for daily opening status. It is not a noise free zone…

The Hobbies are back and living off tiny flies at the moment as there are no dragons or damsels on the wing yet. We have seen them have a half hearted attempt or two at a passing Swift but without success.

Most of the time they have been up high but Marianne Taylor got this stunner on the 1st May....

10-5-13

With some warmth on the wind the trails have become the homes to many insects including a good selection of butterflies. Peacocks seem to common at the moment and various Whites have been seen along with Small Torts, Orange Tips, Brimstones and, in the last few days, Speckled Woods.

Orange Tip (Dave McGough)

Green-veined White (Lawrence Rogers)

Peacock (Lawrence Rogers)

A simply breathtaking shot of…

Found out today that our mixed singing warbler has actually been around for some weeks! Oh well! had a good listen today and had a brief view   It is quite pale on the throat for a Willow Warbler and likewise above which is strangely suggestive of a bird of more easterly origins. Interestingly two pale Eastern-type Willow Warblers were reported on the Essex coast at the same time that this one arrived.

9-5-13

No Oysters near here!  Our Oystercatchers all have stabbing, probing bills and specialise in mudflat invertebrates such as lugworms. They were practically the first bird I heard as I pulled up for my first day back at work on Tuesday with a tight, noisy flock of six birds tailgating each other madly over the river and pools in an exaggerated display flight of sorts.

The sound carries a great distance and it is not unusual…

It would seem that somewhere on in the reed a pair of Bearded Tits are settling down to breed. There have been sporadic sightings in recent weeks which has in previous years been an indicator that young reedlings may be on the way.... fingers crossed and ears open!

This male was taken by David Dent on the 28th April

9-5-13

Another good day out on the marsh although the early morning rain and a light south-easterly breeze hinted that it could have been better...

The highlights were: a calling Wood Sandpiper, 4 Shoveler, 4 Teal, m Corn Bunting, m Willow Warbler, Yellow-legged Gull, 4 Bar-tailed Godwits, 6 Whimbrel, 3 immaculate Grey Plover, 12 Dunlin, Curlew, m & 2f Marsh Harriers, Hobby, 40 Swift, 6 Swallows, 6 Little Egrets, 5 Wigeon,…

April Summary: It was another good wade month and there were some notable sightings including 268 Golden Plover (9^th), 18 Grey Plover (5^th), seven Knot (3^rd), the first Whimbrel (7^th) and a Pectoral Sandpiper (25^th). Spotted Redshank, Greenshank, Jack Snipe, both Godwits including Continental Black-tails and several Ruff all made for good viewing. A Red-throated Diver was a good find on the 6^th and four species of terns…

Promoting the reserve comes in all guises and back in the winter time Sam Shippey and I were interviewed for a documentary film on the Urban fringe to go with the new solo album from Karl Hyde of the band Underworld....

It is now complete and will be aired at various film and music festivals during the year.

Follow this link to our South East blog for more details of this exciting project....

The marsh also features…

At least two male Cuckoos have been sparring out on the marsh and today saw a female added to the mix and although she was not heard 'bubbling' she did come close enough to the centre to show the brown tones in her wings and belly barring.  She also managed to upset all the small birds!

www.youtube.com/watch

Brenda got some good footage the other morning as one of the males sang in the Cordite.

Image by Clive…

A drake Common Scoter has been in Aveley bay since about the 27th April and was still present yesterday over the high tide.  He is a very smart chap with almost glossy black plumage and a nice yellow patch on his bill.  Wonder when he will head north to the Arctic (or possibly even the peatflows of Scotland?) to breed?

(Les Harrison)

8-5-13

Not the best pics in the world but very glad that they got taken!

The Pectoral Sandpiper is a rare trans-Atlantic traveller and there have been several autumn records from the reserve but in Spring there are even rarer so this one found by Andy Tweed was quite special. Brenda managed a couple of shots before it headed of with the Redshanks.  You can just make out the breast band and slightly decurved bill that help identify…

Sorry for the lack of real-time recent sightings posts so i hope that the little stories that I did upload were of interest...

Anyway, back safely from two weeks birding on the Greek Island of Lesvos and straight back into the thick of our belated spring. I have added near ten species today alone to my Rainham year list including Tree Pipit, Reed Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Hobby, Swift, Greenshank and Cuckoo! Not bad…

Rainham Marshes is an ideal place to experience a spring Dawn Chorus. We start pre-dawn at 4am as the first Robins, Blackbirds, Song Thrushes and Wrens arise with Reed and Sedge Warbler chundering and chattering behind us and asthmatic Lapwings and trembling Redshanks display over the marsh and the Cuckoo tries to remember his name.... I suspect Mr P will get in on the act with an enthusiastic crow or two and if it is…

Lesson number 37 in the world of Kestrel Cuisine...

• Try smaller worms that you do not have to tear up otherwise generally stickiness and frustration will follow.

(James Astley)

2-5-13

Brown Hares have kept a toehold at Rainham Marshes and although over the years the habitat may have changed on the marsh, the capping of the landfill site has offered them a life line and if you are really lucky you may encounter one of these engimatic characters. Please let us know if you see one.

Many thanks to John Daly for letting me use one of his fantastic recent images.

1-5-13