You have two more days of the massive 30% off 12.75kg bags of seed! This is the biggest offer we've had on the seed - and stocks are running low.  Get in quick though as the offer only lasts through to the 19th! Have a look at the picture to see...

Two new Glaucous Gulls were seen today at Coldharbour Point on the rocks and loafing offshore before heading back to the landfill..

Keep your eyes open!

The juvenile - Andy Tweed

The huge white 2nd winter - Dante Shepherd

The birds in your garden will love you more than ever if you pop in from tomorrow to stock up on seed with our 30% off sacks offer...

Get in quick though as the offer only lasts through to the 19th!

Click to enlarge the picture to see all the details...

Our fantastic wardening team have done a great job maintaining a section of the woodland boardwalk!

The works have now finished and the paths are open as normal now. 

The staff and volunteers have been working on the boardwalk every day, come rain or shine or even snow. There were sections where the team were working knee deep in water for days. Some of the volunteers were coming in for three to four days each week!

…

Just a quick update from today...

Monday 11th February 2019

• RSPB Rainham Marshes: m Goldeneye, 3w Caspian Gull, 27 Avocet, 36 Black-tailed Godwits, Water Pipit, Grey Wagtail, 4 Stonechat, Little Egret, 3 Marsh Harrier, 20 Golden Plover, m Blackcap, m Peregrine

drake Goldeneye - he spent most of the day on the Thames before dropping infront of the Purfleet Hide for a short while (too shallow) and then heading…

Saturday the 2^nd of February, late afternoon, quite cold, the light is starting to fail, and I’m on the northern boardwalk, part way round locking all the hides.

I always find time out on the reserve is a time to reflect on how the reserve and its habitats have developed, and also to think about our future plans for helping these habitats thrive even more. I start thinking about current proposals that we are developing…

It has been a real mixed bag with the weather since last Friday evening when two inches of snow suddenly covered the ground during the course of David Lindo’s talk but it was gone by the next morning.

10.30pm Friday night...

David getting into character...

Fox, Magpie, Blackbird

Torrential rain followed on Monday morning during rush hour and the levels across the marsh have visibly risen. This has been followed…

Just a quick heads up to let you know that we have a couple of new lines in our shop at the moment with our as friendly as possible Victorian Flora Natural Skincare range...

We also now have the new Puffin bags, purses, scarves, mugs and coasters in - it all feels quite summery!

oh and the Christmas sale is still on with cards and calendars at bargainous prices!

Our small wintering flock of Avocets has slowly increased over the last few weeks to a record 71 on Tuesday.  Down the Thames at East Tilbury there are regularly over 2000 birds in the winter so it is nice that we are getting a few more up this way now.

To see them best you need to aim for mid tide (either rising or falling) as on the low tide they are often quite a way off or even head to just under the QEII Bridge to…

The café will be closed on Thursday 24 and Friday 25 January due to some improvement works.

The toilets, shop, balcony and reception area will be open as normal (although seating in the centre may be limited). Access to the reserve will be through the centre as normal.

On a dank and grey winters day, who would have thought we would be adding a new fish species to the list.

Well, Bernard Bradshaw took some shots of a Grey Heron this afternoon fishing in the mouth of the Mardyke where it flows in to the Thames and it caught a strange looking beast.

I am very sure that it is a type of Pipefish (so sort of related to Seahorses - I think) and some Googling has revealed that Nilsson’s Pipefish…

The last two days have been glorious although we did see a few snowflakes before the front moved off east and the blue sky appeared while today was also a blue sky day although the wind has at last gone east with dropping temperatures and the chance of some birds from continental Europe arriving...

A Glaucous Gull has been around for the last three days and has been seen roosting out on Wennington from the Serin Mound…

The songbirds and music makers we love are at risk of going silent. But we’re at a unique point in history, where we can shape a future where wildlife can thrive. Will you join us at the start of a conservation movement?

Just a quick post as it getting late.

The reserve is lovely and wet and is still covered in duck, geese, lapwings and snipe with a supporting cast of at least six Marsh Harriers, Buzzards, Peregrine and Short-eared Owls...

Have a good weekend!

Friday 11th January 2019

RSPB Rainham Marshes:- 37 Pintail, m Merlin, 3 Marsh Harrier, 2 Buzzard, Kestrel, Water Rail, 36 Avocet, 12 Curlew, 150 Black-Tailed Godwit, 293 Dunlin…

It's been a while...
We have a speaker...
Friday 1 February...

“How To Be An Urban Birder”
Want to know how to have the most fun and good times with your clothes on? Then let David Lindo aka The Urban Birder explain the intricacies of looking good whilst watching birds in urban areas. From using binoculars to finding a local patch to channelling The Force to find birds. David is confident that you will…

Just a quick update on the work that we are doing on site to maintain an area of boardwalk. We have created an alternative route so you will be able to complete a full circuit of the reserve. Over the next few weeks the team will be looking after a ...

We are looking for some people to help us go pond dipping with families during the school holidays and we have a role to help you start a career in outdoor education. We are recruiting for our 2019 Learning Assistant Volunteer Internship. Our struc...

We all #LoveMinsmere. But this amazing reserve could be under threat from a new nuclear power station.

Minsmere needs your help...
The Sizewell Estate, on the southern boundary of Minsmere, is where EDF plan to build a new nuclear power station, Sizewell C. This could be catastrophic for wildlife. The building work may increase erosion, upsetting the delicate balance of the reserve. It could affect the water levels in…

Just a quick reminder starting tomorrow, Monday 7 January, we will be working on maintaining an area of boardwalk.

We have created an alternative route so you will be able to complete a full circuit of the reserve.

Over the next few weeks the team will be looking after a section of the boardwalk near the woodland feeders - to make sure we can keep the full walk open a temporary alternative route will be available. The…

Friday 4th January 2019

• RSPB Rainham Marshes: Pink-footed Goose 2 Caspian Gull, 5 Little Egret, 25 Pintail, 41 Common Snipe, 5 Water Pipit, 5 Stonechat, 12 Rock Pipit, 2 Yellow-legged Gull, 4 Marsh Harrier, 60 Dunlin, 49 Jackdaw, 3 Fieldfare, 30 Redwing, Kestrel, 2 Peregrine, 2 Common Buzzard, 5 Cetti's Warbler, 42 Rook, 2 Sparrowhawk, 37 Stock Dove, Barn Owl, Water Rail, Ruff, Jack Snipe, 35 Avocet

Redwing…

Our bespoke woodland hide bird feeding station and reflection pool is available to hire on a half day or full day basis.

It has been designed to allow up to two photographers of any ability and equipment type to have the opportunity to get great images of the common species that frequent the woodland.

Greenfinches - Jo Collins

Full Day: 9.45am - 4.15pm Cost for hide: £35 non-members including reserve entry, £28 memb…

Starting next week, Monday 7 January, we will be working on maintaining an area of boardwalk.

We have created an alternative route so you will be able to complete a full circuit of the reserve.

Over the next few weeks the team will be looking after a section of the boardwalk near the woodland feeders - to make sure we can keep the full walk open a temporary alternative route will be available. The path will be about…

It was a little busy...

But there were birds too... in fact 85 species were recorded during the day...

Some highlights...

Tuesday 1st January 2019

RSPB Rainham Marshes:- m Merlin, Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 30 Pintail, Sparrowhawk, 4 Marsh Harrier, 2 Buzzard, 4 Water Rail, 22 Avocet, 6 Golden Plover, 9 Curlew, 70 Black-tailed Godwit, Ruff, 20 Dunlin, 60 Snipe, 1w Caspian Gull, 2 Yellow-legged Gull, 4 Stock Dove, Barn…