Hello everyone.
Andrew Gouldstone, the Site Manager here at Rainham Marshes, has written a wildlife update blog for you - take it away Andrew:
Migrants at last have started to return, despite the recent cold, windy and wet weather of earlier this week. Swallows, sand martins and house martins are now regular, and even the later arriving swifts are now to be seen in the skies over the reserve on a daily basis.
Wheatears and whinchats have been regular this week, and cuckoo’s can be heard most days – the woodland or the dragonfly pool area are good locations to look for cuckoo.
Cuckoo by Joan Burton
Several hobby have been present, especially over Wennington Marsh, and few yellow wagtail have been passing through.
And more good news – our first lapwing chicks hatched on Saturday, and quickly after this, many broods could be seen out on the marsh – try looking around the Purfleet scrape, or on the fields near the high seat, the MDZ or the dragonfly pools. Our first breeding wader surveys suggest that we have high numbers again, of both lapwing and redshank. We will confirm exact numbers when we have completed the second survey.
Lapwing chick by Bill Crooks (not from this year)
And the reedbeds are now full of singing reed warblers and sedge warblers - there are still a few spaces on the Dawn Chorus Walks on Sunday 6 and 13 May if you would like to join us... We will be exploring the reserve to enjoy the early morning chorus.
Tony O'Brein