Andy Webb was one very lucky chap on Thursday when he was bumped into by this magnificent Long-eared Owl as it got pushed about by the local Magpies. He watch it for a while before it found suitable refuge.

Unsurprisingly it has not been seen since and I suspect it is a local bird just ranging a little bit more widely than usual but remember ro check any late evening Shorties that you see over the coming days as you…

We have the first yoga session at the reserve tomorrow - and there is still a couple of spaces!

We are starting a yoga class here at Rainham Marshes as part of our Active in Nature scheme - starting in the visitor centre and when the weather gets warmer we'll be going outside. We have a fabulous platform area at the education zone at the Reedbed Discovery Zone where we can enjoy yoga with the sights and sounds of nature…

A simple post on a stunning late winter morning.  
I was at work a little early today and a thick hoar frost coated everything. The car was reading -2c and there was not a breath of wind on a blue sky sunrise and so I took myself off for a short walk around the Cordite.  

Bird wise it was very quiet with just a couple of Goldcrests, a few Redwings and an optimistic pair of nest building Long-tailed Tits but it was the patterns…

Back on the 8th February, Mike Hughes somehow managed to not only pick out a colour ringed Dunlin among the throng on the Target Pools but also managed to get a couple of photos of the tiny white ring that clearly showed the black letters HET.

These Darvic rings are often used as a means of quickly identifying birds at a distance with a specific colour combination.  Species such as ducks, geese, swans and larger waders…

Just a bit of a push for the next two Winter Spectacular Events...

Beginners Birdwatching Walk
Join Pat and Bill for a slow stroll around the trails where they will help you get started on the road to becoming a better birdwatcher. It’s the time of year when all the duck look their best and the woodland birds start to limber up and start singing.
Friday 19 February 11 am-1 pm
Price: Adults £5 (RSPB members £4…

So, the last few days... sorry for the gap – Anyway, Saturday was wet and wild out on the reserve and the KBC battled around into the wind and biting rain but it was worth the effort with great views of some very smart Pintail on the pools and a couple of dapper Reed Buntings at the feeders in the woodland. Cetti’s Warblers sang despite the rain and although the Lapwings were doing lots of flying a round there…

Hi everyone,

Just to give you a quick heads up - the shop and café may be opening slightly late tomorrow (Tuesday 16 February 2016), we are having a staff meeting!

Thanks!

Beautiful things are possible. We can protect this life we love from climate change, if enough of us show we care.

This February, thousands of people across the UK are turning hearts green with the Climate Coalition to #showthelove for the people, places and life we want to protect for generations to come.

The changes needed to protect our world have begun. We can have 100% clean energy within a generation – but it needs…

This week has not only seen the tempestuous Imogen battering the reserve and causing traffic chaos but the highest Spring Tides of the year so far.  Thankfully it was not that high on Monday when 70 mph winds were battering us but yesterday's was quite impressive but never really covered the saltmarsh.

Today's on the otherhand was a whopper and in incredibly calm conditions it crept in a distinctly ominous way over…

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to give you a heads-up about some work tomorrow over at the target pools.

We are going to have some contractors over there tomorrow, removing some fencing (shows on the map as a blue circle) so there may be some disturbance on the Target Pools . The Target Pools can be seen from the Shooting Butts hide, the viewing platform near the toilets, and the path that runs along there.

I will let Jerry Hoare tell the tale of his close encounter with Ronette Weasel and her lunch....

The Weasel and the Short-tailed Field Vole (deceased)

June, Alan, Stan and I were heading from the MDZ to the Purfleet Hide yesterday morning when we noticed a small, fast, brown shape bounding along the path towards us. The shape quickly turned into a Weasel and it's latest prey, a Short-tailed Field Vole. As the Weasel…

and yes despite the use of the word selected, it does actually include the big sacks of Peanuts this time!

5-2-16

Rainham Marshes Winter Spectacular

Join us for our own RSPB Rainham Marshes Winter Spectacular Week where will get you closer to the wildlife, improve your birdwatching skills, open up the microscopic world beneath our waterways, create cracking wildlife homes and encourage more birds to your garden with our homemade recycled bottle feeders!

And let’s not forget that we have the cosy cafe with great views, cake and…

We are pleased to announce that the team have completed the next section of replacement boardwalk and the way through the woodland is now open for traffic again. This new recycled plastic boardwalk is superb stuff and seriously anti-slip so just remember that some of the older sections may still be a little slippy underfoot.

The Opening Ceremony

 This will be it now till next autumn when they will move onto the next…

As part of the new Active in Nature project, we are installing two fibreglass boulders into the adventure playground section of the reserve. The boulders will be suitable for all ages and abilities, catering to those who just want a leisurely scramble to those who are competent climbers and looking to push their grade (V0-V5 graded routes).

The boulders are due to arrive in the UK from Bulgaria at the end of February…

Looking to gain some quality experience, training and development with Europe's largest conservation charity? Spend 6 months as a volunteer intern at RSPB Rainham Marshes nature reserve helping to deliver a high level of customer service for customers visiting our cafe. The cafe is one of only 13 RSPB cafes around the country and is designed to give our visitors a place to relax and enjoy our stunning scenery, as well…