The Volunteer Spotlight...
So, introduce yourself... Who are you and what did you do before Rainham!
For those who don’t know me I am Sam Shippey and have been a volunteer at Rainham from when it was first bought by the RSPB and presently do the regular Wednesday walk.
I have been interested in wild life since I can remember but birds in particular. Most of my school days were spent in Hastings which was during the war with a short spell evacuated to Somerset. Difficult times with black out and rationing and having to carry a gas mask where ever we went. Frequent bombing and restrictions on movement because of imminent threat of invasion, not that we could go very far in those days.
As a family we moved to Essex in 1947 and it wasn’t long before I discovered Rainham marsh. Very different at that time all owned by the MOD with regular army rifle training and sheep and cattle grazing the meadows when firing was not taking place, all of which stretched to the sea wall, no land fill then. I joined the Essex bird watching society in 1950 with like minded friends that I had got to know and we made contact with the then local representative of the RSPB Bob Spencer. In that year we found evidence on Rainham marsh of the first breeding stonechats and shelduck to be recorded in the London area.
My circle of friends gradually grew and under Bob Spencer’s guidance we set up the first inland bird ringing station at Breton’s Farm. At this time the land was farmed in conjunction with a sewerage works. Over time we built many types of bird traps and started ringing under Bob Spencer’s guidance We all (a group of 5 of us) gradually obtained our A ringing certificates. We later graduated from wire netting traps to mist nets, being the first group in the country to import them from Japan and use them in earnest. Many amazing years, with very happy memories training many people to ring birds. This included Ken Barrett who is fondly remembered with the hide at Rainham.
Large numbers of birds ringed, lots of interesting recoveries from all over Europe, western Russia and south to north Africa, along with moult, ageing and parasite studies. This got interrupted with national service in the RAF as a radio operator, with time served at Newhaven on air sea rescue and then in Germany on listening stations. More interesting and different birding whilst there.
Marriage and an interesting career plus a family curtailed this active interest a little. However I did not lose my enthusiasm with the help and support from my very understanding wife. As time went by, old friendships were renewed and new ones nurtured which led to visits to the Camargue, Norfolk, the Scilly Isles, Florida and Fair Isle. All amazing experiences and amazing birding. Places that I had only dreamed of visiting when I was younger.
My work gradually got more involved with several years visiting customers in Mexico and the USA and naturally my binoculars travelled everywhere I went. It was fantastic to bird such places as Point Pelee, Cape May and Arizona national parks as well as the local parks and wild life reserves close to where I lived for a year in Michigan. Then more recently several times to Lesvos with great company and friends. I feel privileged and lucky all at the same time.
Me Birding in Lesvos...
A Cretzschmar's Bunting - A Lesvos speciality
And so to Rainham and the recent times with new friends and experiences.
How long have you been a volunteer, what do you do in your role and what drew you to help the RSPB here?
I got to hear about the possible development of the site in about 1997 then found the group of people involved in working to save the area from this fate and became involved with them. I joined as a volunteer when the site was first purchased in 2000. As a member of Essex Bird Watching Society I put my hand up to produce a list all of the Rainham marsh records from 1949 to 2000 from the Society’s reports to give the RSPB a base to work from.
However I did not want to be sitting in front of a computer as a volunteer and much preferred to be out in the field. I got involved in some of the yearly surveys and from then when ‘unofficial’ Wednesday walks started before we were opened to the public I did these with Howard and from the beginning could see that I could help people with identification both with site and sound. This I found very rewarding and continue to feel uplifted when showing people of all ages close up images through the scope especially when they have never used a scope before. It always becomes a WOW moment for them. Also experiencing being able to show visitors birds that they thought they would never see and sharing their excitement. Things like a Kingfisher for the first time in their life or Short eared owls. Never forgetting just how precious this green oasis is for everyone’s experience and well being.
(Lawrence Rogers)
What is the best bird that you have seen on the reserve and what is your all time favourite from anywhere in the world?
The first part of this is easy. It happened on the Wednesday walk on July 7th 2010 (I cannot believe it is that long ago) when I found the White-tailed Plover tiptoeing around on Aveley Pool. This was a lifer for me and became indelibly imprinted in my mind especially for the BIG bear hug that I got from Howard !!
White-tailed Plover taken by me!
(Tony Coombs)
Happy birders! (Jono Lethbridge)
With regard to the second part, this is much more difficult as there are quite a few. However I have settled on an American warbler, a Black-throated Blue. This I found after many days and hours searching, but was rewarded whilst birding in Cape May in 1995. It popped out of some reeds along the edge of a track that I was walking. A stunning male within eight feet of me. It made my day. Here are a couple of my sketches from that day.
What is your most memorable wildlife encounter out on the marsh?
I cannot say that I can think of just a single encounter, as from my point of view there have been quite a few, but one that sticks in my mind was again on a Wednesday walk. This time from the Butts hide. We were looking across the target pools when there was an enormous explosion of birds from both the ground and the water. The female Peregrine had swept across the water targeting a female teal. The terrified teal dived under the water to escape. However the falcon was not going to be put off. She continued hovering over the water where the teal kept coming to the surface then seeing the danger dived again. This continued for some 10 mins.
The female falcon was then joined by the male. She settled on the ground to recover whilst the male took up the attack. After a short while he left unsuccessful and the teal surfaced and swam to the edge of the water and seemed exhausted. The female hadn't given up though, within a few minutes resumed the attack on the failing teal. Eventually the outcome was as expected the female falcon eventually plucked the exhausted teal from under the water and dispatched it without too much trouble. We all watched this spectacle holding our breaths with lots of ooo’s and aaah’s and all feeling for this unfortunate teal.
And well done to Joanne Gates for capturing the moment!
Why would you recommend that people visit the reserve and volunteer if they have the time?
Obviously to volunteer, you are giving up some of your free time. This said, from my point of view I have always been interested in birds and wild life so doing what I do whilst there is NOT a chore but enjoyable.
It is a special place to visit even just for a leisurely walk in the fresh air. A green oasis in a very built up area. A place to relax and forget the hustle and bustle and take in whatever your interest be this birds, butterflies, dragonflies, other insects, mammals or botany. I feel sure that the many children that come on their school visits take away some memorable moments. The whole reserve is also wheelchair friendly
As to becoming a volunteer, there are many and variable capacities that are possible to bring your individual skills to. Whatever they may be, help and guidance will always be at hand and these can range from people skills, engineering, electrical, carpentry, computing gardening, wild life surveying etc which can be both good fun and interesting all of which will be much appreciated and enhance life experiences and also you get to see the difference that you can make be it small or large.
All of this is organised from the very original centre building sited astride the Thames sea wall with views both over the reserve as well as the Thames. It is just the place to come for something to eat and drink, sit in a comfy arm chair, take in the views and a chat with whoever happens to come along.
Sam Shippey
21st April 2017