• Sitting tight

    It was encouraging yesterday to get out for a short while looking for that Wheatear and see so many Lapwings already sitting tight on nests across the marsh.  I reckon I saw at least ten from the southern trail and there were so many birds tumbling and twisting around that I suspect that there are many more that I did not see.  The air was full of sound with the almost un-natural mechanical pips and wheezes from the Lapwings…

  • Happiness is a migrant called Wheatear...

    A simple post for a Tuesday evening...

    For me, Spring felt like it properly arrived this afternoon...

    The first male Wheatear of the year (and his woman) was predictably hopping around on the Ouzel Fields this afternoon although it took me two attempts to see this little beauty.  I almost breath a sigh of relief when I see the first one... Thanks to Russ for waiting with it for me to get back down there!

    29-3-16

  • Katie's Weekend Blast

    Easter Sunday and Monday were not what you would call a busy Bank Holiday with the building of Storm Katie and the subsequent severe thrashing that the reserve got on Monday morning resulting in birds and public alike keeping a low profile.


    Fortunately, there were no trees down yesterday and after a lunchtime inspection we opened the trails once again to the visitors cooped up in the centre. Once again we struggled…

  • Photographic Advice Drop-in Session Today and Tomorrow

    Morning all... we have three drop in sessions for all you budding photographers over the Easter period. David Dent is in today and tomorrow and Jim Willett will be in on the 4th April. Just ask at reception for details of where the guys are on the trail and head out and meet them. £1 donation
  • What a Grey Day....

    What a difference a day makes...Increasing southerly wind and temperatures that felt a lot lower than yesterday resulted in a quarter of the footfall today but the change in wind direction did spice things up a little as we had hoped with six tiny little Sand Martins careening through with the wind up their tails during the day along with our first (albeit brief) Little Ringed Plovers - a trio of which stopped on the…

  • It was a Good Friday...

    Well that was indeed a GOOD FRIDAY with one of our busiest ever days for visitors and such like.  The day got going really early and the car park soon filled to capacity and we had to park people on the approach road!

    Weather wise it was a glorious spring day with five male and four female Common Scoter getting us off to a great start as they drifted up and down with the tdie for a few hours, I once more talked up a

  • Comings and Goings

    Come on Spring! Pull your finger out! Today it almost happened... the air was warmer, the sun came out unexpectedly and there was no breeze or hardly any clouds.  The hoped for sprinkle of migrants never happened and we are still awaiting our first Wheatear, Sand Martin and Little Ringed Plover but some of our other migrants remain in situ with up to three Jack Snipe being seen around the Purfleet Scrape area since the…

  • A Life Well Lived

    It has been one of those weeks... I am sorry to announce the passing of the amazing Grace Salter on Friday 18th March at the ripe old age of 106 years and six months. Grace was still helping in our café clearing tables on her 102nd birthday and was undoubtedly the oldest volunteer on the RSPB books and was still making visits with her family until just after Christmas.

    She was passionate about the RSPB, the reserve…

  • Ken Barrett - Still missed - still here...

    On this day in 2006, a White Stork was found on RSPB Rainham Marshes. The local birders/volunteers arrived on site that evening and we watched it wading around on what we now call the Target Pools. Ken Barrett also arrived but never got to see the bird as he suffered a massive heart attack shortly after leaving his car and despite the best efforts of those present, he could not be saved.


    Quite where the ensuing…

  • Looks like spring from the inside but definitely a bit nippy out!

    Although we still have not seen a Sand Martin, Wheatear or Little Ringed Plover yet, there are further signs of spring starting to give winter a run for its money.

    I am pretty sure that there are various Lapwings now on nests and the volume of Lapwing and Redshank song is a joy to behold. The Jack Snipe reappeared yesterday and spent an hour bobbing like some wondrously stripy lemon fully in the open. It was not very…

  • Already missed...

    I am sad to report that Chris Lowe, one of our regular visitors, volunteers and contributor to the Rainham blog passed away after a short illness on the 3rd March. Chris was a lively, jovial character with a big smile and a good eye for a sharp photo.

    He particularly liked trying to snap the multitudinous insects that abound on the reserve and had fun practicing with his ring flash to try to capture all the detail…

  • Easter at Rainham Marshes

    Friday 25 March – Sunday 10 April

    There is going to be lots of going on at Rainham through out the Easter fortnight – for adults and for families.

    Join us for our own Easter at Rainham Marshes fortnight where will get you closer to wildlife, improve your birdwatching skills, get active in nature, improve your photography, encourage more birds to your garden with our homemade recycled bottle feeders, make a…

  • Fog Lifts - Spring Arrives

    The last few days have started with fog and murk but have largely ended up being glorious with yesterday being especially gorgeous and spring like. I was first in and as I drove down the road there was a 'flock' of four birds feeding in the road... the brain processed them as I trundled by... 'Wood Pigeon, Magpie, Moorhen... Water Rail'... Hang on a minute...  Water Rail? I stopped and reversed back and…

  • London Butterfly Survey 2016 : Citizen Science! We Need Your Help!

    London Butterfly Survey 2016

    Time for a little project... We are participating in the London Butterfly Survey this year and have been asked to record species within the various 1km squares that cover the SSSI. To make a map easier I have rounded it up to the 20 squares around us so some are actually off site but no less important. 

    If on your perambulations you identify any butterflies please can you have a look at the…