Rainham Marshes Winter Spectacular
Join us for our own RSPB Rainham Marshes Winter Spectacular Week where will get you closer to the wildlife, improve your birdwatching skills, open up the microscopic world beneath our waterways, create cracking wildlife homes and encourage more birds to your garden with our homemade recycled bottle feeders!
And let’s not forget that we have the cosy cafe with great views, cake and coffee and a well stocked shop to further pamper our feathered friends!
Here's the full list of Rainham Marshes Winter Spectacular events:
Winter Spectacular: Get Good At Gulls... A drop in workshop
Saturday 13 February, drop in between 10 am and 12.30 pm
Get good at gulls... a drop in workshop!
Get a little help with your gull identification with our Gull Guys.
Park at the Riverside Car Park opposite the Concrete Barges and walk east along the footpath, or park at the reserve and walk along the river wall section of the reserve to the Concrete Barges (we recommend leaving yourself about an hour to get there). Look out for our Gull Guys in yellow tabards and hopefully get to spend some time checking gulls on the river and foreshore as they commute to and from the landfill. Whether you are after some basic gull id help or after a bit more detail, this session will be for you.
£1 donation.
Caspian and Common Gulls - Andy Tweed
Winter Spectacular: Kids Birdwatching Club
Saturday 13 February, 10 am-12.30 pm
Hopefully, it will be nice and cold for this mid winter Kids Birdwatching Club! Join us with your kids for a walk around the marshes for some good winter birding. Wildlife Explorers £2.50. Non child members £5. Adults free.
Winter Spectacular: Wild Families - Love Nature
Sunday 14 February, drop in any time between 10.30 am-12.30 pm
Create teeny tiny gifts that you can give to a loved one from things you find around the reserve.
Wild Families is a monthly event for families to adventure and explore around Rainham Marshes, enjoying nature and having fun!
There will be drop in sessions (you can pop in when you want between 10.30 am and 12.30 pm), and a bookable event (you'll be making some fabulous things to take home) from 1.30-3.30 pm.
£1 per child, accompanying adults free
Winter Spectacular: Wild Families - Love Shack
Sunday 14 February, 1.30-3.30 pm
Build a nest box to take home and show the birds in your garden that you love them.
£5 per child (£1 Wildlife Explorer discount), accompanying adults free, booking essential.
Winter Spectacular: Wonderful Waders & Wildfowl... A drop in workshop
Sunday 14 February, drop in between 10 am and 2 pm.
Join us in the Shooting Butts Hide to discover the differences between our wintering wildfowl from the ubiquitous Mallard to elegant Pintail. Look for our Volunteers wearing yellow tabards. Hopefully there will some plovers and other waders to look at too.
Wigeon - Barry Jackson
Winter Spectacular: Sunday Stroll
Sunday 14 February, 1 pm – 3.30 pm
Walk off that early Sunday lunch or work up an appetite for one with our traditional amble around the reserve. Let’s hope for a nice crisp winter’s day when the Lapwings shimmer in the sun and all the small birds put on a show. Fingers crossed for Bearded Tits!
Adults £5 (RSPB members £4), child £2 (RSPB members £1.50). This does not include reserve entry fees
Winter Spectacular: Family Feeder Fun
Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 February, 10 am-2 pm
Come and help us make some little feeders for your garden birds by recycling old plastic bottles and spend some time with us watching the feeders around the centre top see what birds come in for lunch.
Greenfinches - Russ Sherriff
Winter Spectacular: Wednesday Walk
Wednesday 17 February, 9.30 am – 12 pm
Head out with Sam to discover what is out on the marsh. If it is a nice day then the Dartford Warblers might show with their Stonechat buddies and there is a good chance of seeing the Marsh Harriers and even the Short-eared Owls.
Winter Spectacular: Underwater Action - a winter pond dip
Thursday 18 February, a drop in session between 10 am and 12 noon
It might usually be deemed out of season for a bit of dipping but just because it is February does not mean that the water is devoid of life. In fact some of the creatures we find are completely different to the Spring and Summer months so pop in and join Alan to see what you can find - you don't need to bring anything we have all the equipment! We will be pond dipping at the Marshland Discovery Zone - which is a 15 minute walk from the centre.
Planarian - Jim Archer
Winter Spectacular: Underwater Action - Jim’s Micro Marvels
Thursday 18 February, a drop in session between 11 am and 2 pm
A drop in session between 11am – 2pm. And before you head down to the pond dipping or after you come back, why not pop over and see Jim with his amazing microscopes in the Visitor Centre and go eyeball to eyeball with some of the tiny critters that live in our pond water.
Dragonfly nymph - Mark Hart
Winter Spectacular: Beginners Birdwatching Walk
Friday 19 February, 10 am-1 pm
Join Pat and Bill for a slow stroll around the trails where they will help you get started on the road to becoming a better birdwatcher. It’s the time of year when all the duck look their best and the woodland birds start to limber up and start singing.
Saturday 20 February, drop in between 10 am and 12.30 pm
Sunday 21 February, 1 pm – 3.30 pm
Active in Nature: Self Guided Nature Orienteering and Bicycle Hire will, as always, be available every day.
Nature Orienteering - Navigate your way around the reserve with a map and compass between various clues to unlock the mystery posed my our trail master!
Bicycle Hire - Our wonderful cycle hire scheme will give you an opportunity to loop the perimeter of the reserve on the River Wall section of the reserve, and explore the surrounding landscape, taking in views over the River Thames and down to London from the river wall. Rainham is ideally positioned for a cycle adventure, with easy access to Sustrans route 13 and further afield, exploring Beam Valley and The Gaynes Parkway.
Active in Nature: Learn to Run: Sunday 7 February to Saturday 9 April 9.30 am start every Sunday Sofa to 5km in 9 weeks! Fancy starting to jog, but don't want to join a gym, or go on your own? Do you want to run 5km, but don't know where to start? Look no further - Rainham Marshes nature reserve offers just this opportunity! With the bonus of lots of fantastic scenery and wonderful wildlife! With a training programme designed for your needs and pace, this opportunity is specifically aimed at those who are new to running outdoors. We will build you up gently from walking to jogging, and then to running. Book on our 9 week course today - give up a call for more details! Price: £2 for adults (£1 for RSPB members) each session - pay as you go. Booking essential
For more details about Active in Nature go to www.rspb.org.uk/activeinnature
#activeinnature let us know what you think and share your pictures!