And so quite unlike yesterday, today was a brilliant bright blue sky day with fluffy clouds and although a little shower did come through it was this that brought down the best birds of the day when five Spoonbills descended in ever decreasing circles over Aveley Pool before settling down for a couple of hours.

top two by me and this one by Jacqueline Suttling - the three juveniles are on the left

This presumed…

Autumn Fair

Sunday 10 September 9.30am- 5pm

Come and join us for our fantastic autumn fair and check out our 25 or so stalls. There will be something for everyone with a multitude of wondrous art & crafts, plants, books, Matt the honey man, local RSPB groups, Dr Bike, Jamaican food, TuiNa massage, short guided walks, fossils, face painting and more!

On Friday a chap brought in an exhausted Goldcrest. He had been on the 44 bus and the driver had stopped because he saw the bird in the road in front of him. The passenger got off and picked up the little ball of fluff and then got off at the next stop and brought it into us.

He was clearly in a poor way and being a tiny insectivore I did not think that there was much I could do for him so as he perked up a little…

Sorry but it has been a busy week...

So, some sightings to keep you going for the last few days.

Autumn migrartion is under way with regular Whinchats, Wheatears, Yellow Wagtails and a variety of warblers being reported now including some good Willow warbler counts. Spotted Flycatcher and the first of the returning Redstarts have been seen and a young Turtle Dove was in the car park briefly on Thursday morning.

Hobbies…

Thursday 17th August 2017

121 Arctic Terns, ad Roseate Tern (seen twice), 57 Common Tern, juv Med Gull, 15 Great Black-backed Gulls, 7 Yellow-legged Gulls, 19 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 3 Common Gull, Avocet, Greenshank, Redshank, 7 Common Sandpiper, 2 Green Sandpiper, 9 Dunlin, Sanderling, 12 Ringed Plover, 42 Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Curlew, Whimbrel, 16 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Snipe, 800 Starling, 6 Little Egret, Willow…

The 2018 diaries that you have all been waiting for have arrived and are in stock in our lovely shop as of today along with the full calendar range.

And there is still 15% off all Christmas cards, calendars and diaries until the 3rd September.

Oh and there is also currently 20% off all 12.75kg sacks of bird food (excluding peanuts, buggy nibbles and high energy sprinkles) until the 28th August...

Morning all...

We have a couple of evening events coming up at the start of September which may catch your interest..

Late Night Opening and Moth Night

Friday 1 & Friday 8 September, 9.30 am - dusk (approx 11 pm)

The reserve will remain open till dusk (which will be about 11 pm) so that you can come along and soak up the tranquility of the marsh as the day starts to fade.  

Many birds start singing again in a last…

Maurice Speaks #3

Quis est iste qui venturus est:

It is of course Maurice and he welcomes you once again to all things Purfleetish and Rainhamesque.

A week or so ago I did retrace my steps back to the cyclopean Purfleet Heritage Centre. But this sojourn was no mere whimsical fancy by a carefree medieval obsessed traveller. No. I was here to savour the sights sounds and tastes of our local Thurrock Nepalese Ghurkha…

Thursday 10th August 2017
RSPB Rainham Marshes: juv Kittiwake, f Common Scoter, Sanderling, 4 Whimbrel, Curlew, 4 Avocet, 9 Dunlin, 2 Greenshank, 6 Ringed Plover, 7 Common Sandpiper, 4 Green Sandpiper, 44 Black-tailed Godwit, 12 yellow Wagtail, garden warbler, 70 Common Tern, 3 Hobby, f Sparrowhawk, juv f Peregrine

Family of Avocets in the Bay - Andy Tweed

Not a bad selection today.... saw most of this from the centre…

And somehow the weather gods decreed that we would hold our Hen Harrier Day and it would remain dry for all of the most important bits...

The day stated early and by 6am we were on site and putting in the finishing touches for the big day ahead. The early morning mizzle had blown through and the sun had come out and the lack of wind helped prevent signage ending up in Kent!

With a good crowd already in attendance…

Hen Harrier Day RSPB Rainham Marshes 5th August 2017

So, we are nearly all ready.... I have not had any time for extra Harrier-on-a-stick making so if you still have one from last year then remember to bring it with you along with any other banners and signs you care to make.

The rally is FREE.... families welcome, usual dog rules apply, cafe and shop as normal and of course three superb erudite speakers with Chris…