Today was my first day back after this year's Shetland adventure and an early start saw me heading along the river wall at just before seven, having parked in Purfleet. It was crisp and looking like it was going to be a glorious day. 

There was mist over the marsh and river and the new blue sky was almost green where the orange of the rising sun met it.  It was a crying out for some memories to be captured.

The…

Just a very quick update to say that the Cattle Egret is still following around its bovine friends today and in fact has just landed at the back of the Purfleet Scrape as I type this...

John Humble...the best shot yet!

Just a quick message to let you all know that the cattle egret was showing nicely all day yesterday on the Aveley Flash!

Here's a guest widlife update from Friday 5 October from volunteer Pat:

Very foggy start cleared by mid-morning to give a really sunny almost windless day.
Where have all our Godwits gone! Over 100 last week today not one! Avocet number down to 5. But had some wonderful views of a pair of pristine…

Find out what goes bump in the night!

Eye of newt and toe of frog, wool of bat and tongue of dog…

Across the UK, our reserves are going wild for Halloween. Join us with your family and you’ll discover creepy crawlies, small and scaries, and things that go bump in the night! As bats flit overhead and toads call, the witching hour is definitely upon us.

Here at Rainham Marshes we have an evening walk for…

Morning!

There has been a cattle egret on the reserve today.

The first we heard about it was a phone call from Howard (who is in Shetland at the moment) saying there is a cattle egret on Wennington (wow, he must have good eyes!)

It then started over on Wennington (the marsh that can be seen from the Shooting Butts Hide), and then flew close to the visitor centre. We had lovely views as it wandered between the cattle…

It's been a breezy week here - we had a little bit of rain so the Purfleet scrape is getting a few puddles now! During the very hot summer the scrape dried, which is a natural part of a scrape habitats and believe it or not, occasional drying out can help the marsh thrive.

Many of the summer wildlife visitors have departed and the winter visitors are starting to arrive. Some of the wildlife highlights this week…

The pectoral sandpiper was still showing nicely from the Shooting Butts hide this weekend!

Pectoral sandpiper by Andy Tweed

Keep an eye out for more recent sightings coming in the next blog!

Hire-a-Guide

Take a personal tour around Rainham Marshes with an expert guide looking for wildlife and discovering the unique history of the reserve. Your guide will tailor the experience for you, be it whether you are interested in birds, butterflies, bees, flies, bugs and other insects, plants, history or even a little bit of everything! They will answer your questions so that you can discover RSPB Rainham Marshes…

From Monday 1 October the photographic hide will be available once again...

Our purpose built hide allows close views of feeding woodland birds. There is a feeding station and reflection pool in the area to attract birds and a number of natural perches so you can get some lovely shots!

When: hiring available during opening hours if area not in use with schools

Opening times: Full day (9.45 am-4.15 pm) or half day…

Dance of the Cardoon

 

The Cardoon seeds have been released

By the gusting wind that seeks to please

It lifts them up and spins them round

But most descend towards the ground

Where they collect in informal groups

Before a signal lines them up like troops

To begin their dance across the land

To the inaudible tune of a top brass band

But this regimented march does not last

With the fickle wind blowing far too…

Saturday 15th September 2018

• RSPB Rainham Marshes: 1cy Caspian Gull, juv Little Stint, 2 Wigeon, 10 Shoveler, 15 Gadwall, 2 Pintail, 180 Teal, 4 Little Grebe, 2 Pochard, 49 Lapwing, Common Sandpiper, Little ringed Plover Curlew, 61 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Ruff, 4 Snipe, juv Yellow-legged Gull, Marsh Harrier, 2 Sparrowhawk, 16 Common Buzzard, Barn Owl, 2 Kingfisher, 7 Kestrel, 3 Hobby, 2 Jay, Sand Martin, 10 Swallow…

Tomorrow, Thursday 13 September, you will not be able to complete a full circuit.

We will be working on a section of boardwalk by the bog wood on the Northern Boardwalk, so you will not be able to do the full circuit. You will be able to walk clockwise to the Ken Barrett hide and back or anticlockwise to the woodland and back.

Sorry for any inconvenience!

The wonderful Wardening team have identified a section of…

I am pleased to announce the next challenge in the Steps Series…'The Redwing' which will launch at the autumn fair on Sunday 9 September.

A lovely picture of a Redwing taken at Rainham by the much missed Chris Lowe

Get outdoors and active – great for your health and a great way to explore and help us reach our steps goal! We are collectively trying to walk the migration of the Redwing from its breeding…

Friday 7th September 2018

RSPB Rainham Marshes: 71 Black-tailed Godwit, 16 Avocet, 4 Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plover, 3 Snipe, 2 Common Sandpiper, 2 Curlew, 80 Lapwing, 2 Wheatear, 2f Sparrowhawk, 2juv Marsh Harrier, 3 Buzzard, 3 Hobby, 4 Kestrel, 7 Little Egret, 4 Pintail, Siskin, 9 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 7 Blackcap, 3 Whitethroat, 11 Chiffchaff, 17 Swallows, 32 House Martin, 6 Sand Martin, Meadow Pipit, 2 Yellow…

Thursday 6th September 2018

• RSPB Rainham Marshes; Great White Egret 1015-1340,4 Marsh Harrier, 10 Buzzard, 4 Hobby, 2f Sparrowhawk, 5 Kestrel, 32 Stock Dove, 3 Willow Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Whitethroat, 6 Little Egret, 52 Black-tailed Godwit, Ruff, 2 Pintail, Spotted Flycatcher

A quick mini-report for today with the Great White Egret that stayed till nearly 2pm being the undoubted highlight...

Top…

It has been a busy last few weeks of the summer holiday so please excuse the dearth of posts.

Return migration is well underway although the lack of water across most of the marsh is somewhat reducing our ability to bring in waders and wildfowl.  Teal numbers are slowly building up and the first two Pintail appeared yesterday and it will not be long before the Wigeon return.  The Icelandic Black-tailed Godwit flock is…

Hi everyone,

Tomorrow, Tuesday 28 August 2018, the cafe will be open for a restricted service in the morning, and will close for the rest of the day at 12.45 pm.

The rest of the reserve, and shop, will be open as usual.

Apologies for any inconvenience - the team at Rainham will be paying our final respects at the funeral of one of our valued volunteers.

Caroline, our Catering Manager has said:

"Edie has been…

And so, as promised, the follow up to Monday’s post about the joys of muck spreading on the Purfleet Scrape... It was a bit wet a dank this morning but this did not stop the delivery of three big trailer loads of ripe farm yard manure.

Andrew G, our Site Manager guided the farmer in and directed him where to deposit the properly steaming piles of the good stuff!

All of this went very well and soon the scrape…

A rare glimpse into the breeding ecology of the usually elusive Rainham Blue Dung-fly (Scathophaga volunteerensis).   Here the short-sighted males (#1) look up at the arrival of distinctively yellow-legged female (#2) to their chosen dung pile lek site.

They have failed to notice the presence of an immature grey-legged female already in their midst (#3) and within a few moments the males return to their task of trying to…

The Rainham Autumn Fair will take place on Sunday September 9th from 0930 - 1700 and as usual will be situated around the visitors centre and in the gardens where we shall have a great selection of stalls for you to browse.

We look forward to seeing you!  Spread the word...

However, I am after some more stalls and so if you or any one you know would like a space please put them in touch with me please. Pitches are …

As many of you will be aware, after the heat of the past few months, parts of the marsh are now very dry, including the Purfleet scrape.

 

 

This is not unusual at this time of year, nor is it unusual for the type of habitat that we are managing here – coastal grazing marsh – where pools and scrapes are often ephemeral.

 

The amount of drying out does vary from year to year of course, and this year’s June…

Yesterday was Hen Harrier Day and we were delighted for the third year to host the event for BAWC at RSPB Rainham Marshes, to add our voices to the growing pressure to seek change in how our uplands are managed and to bring an end to the illegal persecution of our precious raptors and other collateral moorland wildlife.

The weather forecast had been slightly iffy and although we were overjoyed at the deluges during the…

Robyn is here to up date us on our walking challenge... The Steps Series is a set of challenges – everyone can help us walk or run the same distance as a migratory route of one of Rainham’s wildlife visitors, or even distances to places - all your steps can count!

Get outdoors and active – great for your health and a great way to explore .  Rainham Marshes is a perfect place to explore if you are trying…

What a week it has been, it's whizzed past - it's Hen Harrier Day tomorrow already!

Let's start with a few recent wildlife highlights:

• Bearded tit are still showing nicely on the Northern Boardwalk.
• Waders have included black-tailed godwit, ruff, dunlin, green sandpiper and little ringed plover on Aveley Flash.
• Swift, swallow, house martin and cuckoo have been flying overhead.
• Yellow legged gulls

…