There is exciting work going on out on Rainham West at the moment to give this area a good working over to help create some habitats similar to those found on Aveley Marsh at the east end of the site. New fences are being put in, invasive bramble cleared from the middle and lots of new ditches, scrapes, rills and other water holding features.
However, the best find so far was this large female Common Toad that Ian the digger driver carefully excavated and avoided squishing! Andrew G rescued it and thus we have our very first record of this amphibian since we acquired the marshes neary 20 years ago. Like Great Crested Newt it was already on the list prior to our acquisition but it is nice to know that they have probably been lurking at the west end al this time!
Common Toad - Andrew Gouldstone
Howard Vaughan, Information Officer