RSPB Rainham Marshes - Ornithological Summary May 2022
Bar-tailed Godwits
Glossy Ibis (8th May)
Grey Plovers
Hobby arrived early May most seen at once was 7
Short Eared Owl 22nd May
Peregrine - 1 seen fairly regularly throughout the month
Kingfisher has been seen 13 times this month within the reserve which is always a crowd pleaser
Sanderling
Dunlin,
Ringed Plover
Little Ringed Plover
Turnstone
Whimbrel
Arctic Terns low numbers
Little Terns 13th May
Cuckoo - 4 present all month
Spotted Fly Catchers - a pair on 14th May, one has been in and out of the Cordite all month since this date
Bearded Tits already have fledglings out and about and have shown well all month except on rainy days
Cattle Egret - 2 birds stayed for around a week but the nesting avocets gave them quite a hard time as our cattle also like the avocet nesting area!
Great White Egret on and off the reserve all May
Spoonbill usually just one pops in but late in the month we had 3, had lovely views of a pair on Purfleet Scrape which returned on 5th June
Marsh Harriers - 2 pairs nesting and still a couple of last years broods staying on reserve, 6 Marsh Harriers regularly on site
73 pairs of Lapwing
123 pairs of Redshanks
11 Avocet nests
Starling - a flock of about 500 were seen regularly around last week of May
Tawny Owl - 31st May Roosting in the woodland! Not been seen since.
Long Tailed Tits - lovely fledglings throughout the woodland
Grasshopper warbler most heard was 4 early in the month but 1 has been heard regularly since
Good numbers of:- blackcap, whitethroat, lesser whitethroat, sedge warbler, chiff chaff and cettis showing well all month
Mammals & Other things
Water vole - good numbers and lots of sightings
Badger - seen twice
Red Fox - occasionally visits our bird feeder area near the VC
Rabbit
Stoat
Weasel
(flycatcher pic credits: John Humble)