There is nothing like hearing birds in full song at this time of the morning! A guided walk with experts will help you to identify what is out there at this time of the year followed by a much needed bacon or sausage bap and a hot drink in the café (which is included in cost). 

We should hear Cuckoos... (Les Harrison)

... and Blackcaps (Lee Spence)

...and Reed Warblers (Jono Lethbridge…

As many of you will know the nature of Aveley Bay means that it acts as some sort of rubbish receptacle for the River Thames as the circulating waters of the bay collect and deposit almost anything that is floating around in the Thames on our little precious piece of saltmarsh.

Back in pre and post Victorian times it was well known as a Dead Man’s Point where anyone unlucky enough to find themselves floating face…

The Volunteer Spotlight...

So, introduce yourself... Who are you and what did you do before Rainham!

For those who don’t know me I am Sam Shippey and have been a volunteer at Rainham from when it was first bought by the RSPB and presently do the regular Wednesday walk.

I have been interested in wild life since I can remember but birds in particular. Most of my school days were spent in Hastings which was during…

With it being This Girl Can month I thought I would have a little look out on the marsh this morning to see what the avian ladies were up to out there in the cold first light of a grey spring morning.

The boys were already up and about shouting and hollering about how wonderful they sounded with their wondrous musicality, uppy-downy display flights, upside down tumbling, frantic head bobbing, wing waving, and even bum…

Afternoon all... Some Easter related news... As some of you may have seen the Tall Ships have been heading up river this week for the regatta around Greenwich over the Easter weekend.
They will all leave Deptford together at 5pm on Easter Sunday (16th) and as such we shall be keeping the reserve open till dusk that evening so that we too can enjoy the spectacle. The shop will close as normal at 5pm but the cafe will…

Maurice Speaks!

Greetings and welcome to my new slot...

Every now and then I’m going to swivel ponderously in my chair and focus my attention on some of the other great institutions/visitor attractions or just really nice places to visit in the area we all know (and love) as Purfleet- those amazing unsung places and people right on the RSPB Rainham Marshes doorstep- some literally on the doorstep. Take my first port…

There has been plenty to do in the Wildlife Garden and I have spent the last two days working to make it better for wildlife and you, the visitors. I have been surrounded by a myriad of insects - especially yesterday when the garden was a proper little sun trap.

When we arrived on Monday morning we found that there had been a mass emergence of one of our commonest flies – Musca autumnalis and as usual on a nice…