Last Friday Dave Smith found a stunning drake Garganey just outside the Butts Hide where it was so close that Dave was able to record its weird croaking rattle of a call. This is our only summer visiting duck and it is always a treat to encounter one. Since then it has been a wee bit elusive and when it does show it is usually out shovelling around in the middle of the Target Pools...

However, yesterday afternoon it…

It has been another interesting few days with more waders moving through and the species total for May now stands at a very impressive 25.

These two Sanderling were popular in the bay...

www.youtube.com/watch

The Whimbrel have been very popular with one group roosting on Purfleet Scrape and up to ten feeding on the capped part of the landfill.

Whimbrel - Dave McGough

A Quail sang up there for a few days from last…

The turn to chillier weather of the past week has seen the blustery north-easterly winds holding up wader migration and those birds that would normally have snuck past our inland reserve have had their journey to their high Arctic breeding grounds interrupted.

As such there has been a smorgasbord of species to choose from as the birds pause for a breather on their migration.

15 Grey Plover, Turnstone, 2 Ringed Plover…

The Volunteer Spotlight...

So, introduce yourself... Who are you and what did you do before Rainham!

I am Jim Archer and I am retired now but I used to work for a drug company and later at the Royal London Hospital as an immunologist – first attempting to improve people’s chances after transplants and then, looking at the same molecules, trying to understand arthritis. As a teenager in Edinburgh, I was interested in…

There is nothing like hearing birds in full song at this time of the morning! A guided walk with experts will help you to identify what is out there at this time of the year followed by a much needed bacon or sausage bap and a hot drink in the café (which is included in cost). 

We should hear Cuckoos... (Les Harrison)

... and Blackcaps (Lee Spence)

...and Reed Warblers (Jono Lethbridge…

As many of you will know the nature of Aveley Bay means that it acts as some sort of rubbish receptacle for the River Thames as the circulating waters of the bay collect and deposit almost anything that is floating around in the Thames on our little precious piece of saltmarsh.

Back in pre and post Victorian times it was well known as a Dead Man’s Point where anyone unlucky enough to find themselves floating face…

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…

With it being This Girl Can month I thought I would have a little look out on the marsh this morning to see what the avian ladies were up to out there in the cold first light of a grey spring morning.

The boys were already up and about shouting and hollering about how wonderful they sounded with their wondrous musicality, uppy-downy display flights, upside down tumbling, frantic head bobbing, wing waving, and even bum…

Afternoon all... Some Easter related news... As some of you may have seen the Tall Ships have been heading up river this week for the regatta around Greenwich over the Easter weekend.
They will all leave Deptford together at 5pm on Easter Sunday (16th) and as such we shall be keeping the reserve open till dusk that evening so that we too can enjoy the spectacle. The shop will close as normal at 5pm but the cafe will…

Maurice Speaks!

Greetings and welcome to my new slot...

Every now and then I’m going to swivel ponderously in my chair and focus my attention on some of the other great institutions/visitor attractions or just really nice places to visit in the area we all know (and love) as Purfleet- those amazing unsung places and people right on the RSPB Rainham Marshes doorstep- some literally on the doorstep. Take my first port…

There has been plenty to do in the Wildlife Garden and I have spent the last two days working to make it better for wildlife and you, the visitors. I have been surrounded by a myriad of insects - especially yesterday when the garden was a proper little sun trap.

When we arrived on Monday morning we found that there had been a mass emergence of one of our commonest flies – Musca autumnalis and as usual on a nice…

It has been an interesting week on the reserve so far with very un-spring like conditions on Monday when it remained murky and dull but perfect conditions for downing five Red-breasted Mergansers in the Bay. March is a regular time for this specialised fish eater to appear as it heads back north to the upland streams of Britain.

Mergansers - Andy Tweed

A Black-tailed Godwit in breeding plumage was seen and photographed…

We have reached that time of year again when the breeding season is starting to get underway and we have to begin thinking about the welfare of the wildlife on the reserve during this sensitive time.

Back in the winter months the wardening team and their intrepid volunteers did a great job of clearing the vegetation in front of the Kingfisher bank in preparation of, hopefully, another season of flashing blue and orange…

A short pre-work amble around the landfill yesterday was an absolute delight with surround sound of spring underway. Skylarks were up serenading and sprialling into the misty blue while Meadow Pipits were in the process of parachuting back down. I did catch both species singing from perches too.

There was what I like to call 'Lesvos Light' this morning which gave even me a chance of getting some passerine shots…

Good morning everyone,

Our wonderful volunteer Jerry has been completing the reserve's bee survey, and he has writtern a fabulous blog to tell us all about it.

Take it away Jerry:

BeeWalk – taking a walk and counting bumblebees
by Jerry Hoare

This is the start of my second full season recording bumblebees at Rainham Marshes.
Jamie asked if I’d like to tell you what the survey is all about.

Bumblebees…

More spring-like weather has seen a flurry of activity but rather frustratingly the Sand Martin and Wheatear seen on Saturday have not been followed by friends. The level of Lapwing and Redshank activity is increasing by the day and the latter are now also engaging in full towering display flights which is promising. Up to seventeen Curlew are still coming in at high tide and today a flock of Golden Plover briefly dropped…

Morning,

How are you?

Just a quick message to let you know that there maybe some disturbance on the northern section of the reserve tomorrow (Tuesday 14 March).

All paths and boardwalks will be open, but we will have National Grid onsite doing some works around the reedbeds near the Northern Boardwalk.

Sunset by Tony O'Brien

Good afternoon everyone,

How are you?

Did you see our guest blog from Hilary Powell late last year?

Hilary is a local artist who is working on creating some audio visual work - so you might of seen her around.

Picture from Hiliary's Twitter

Hilary is an artist, and the recipient of this year’s Stephen Cripps’ studio award in Acme studios, at the Royal Opera House High House Production Park in Purfleet.…

Evening all...
A few weeks back a few of us had the opportunity to be part of one of the BBC's ident pieces that fit between programs... it was actually a good laugh. And yes I am pointing at a fictitious Short-eared Owl or teatowel as the director called it but on one accasion a real one (owl not teatowel) was actually on view but we were looking the wrong way for the camera...

Therefore I give you... "Birdwatchers…

Well, it has certainly been a mixed week out on the reserve with interesting weather from all directions and some great wildlife spectacles to absorb yourself with.

The crossover between our wintering Lapwing and Redshank and those arriving to breed is well underway and the sci-fi sounds of mad tumbling male Lapwings and frantic attacks on any passing corvid are well underway. The Redshanks are currently a little more…

It's almost Mother's Day again and it’s on the 26th March! Hope you are already organised... what's that you say, you haven't thought about it yet? Have no fear, Rainham is here!!

Why not bring your special person (it could be your mother, or anyone else you want to treat!) to the cafe for Afternoon Tea? Treat them to a selection of sandwiches, cakes, mini scones with clotted cream and a cup of…

Fancy giving us a hand with a foreshore clearance with our Thames 21 partners on Friday 3rd March? More hands make light work!

There has been some wild weather over the last few days starting with the demented Doris and continuing with the grump Ewan today...

Incoming today - Ivor Kerslake

Not much to report bird wise but the windy and wild conditions have resulted in some great photographic opportunities for those willing to go out!

Russ Sherriff captured some amazing shots of the Wigeon riding out the waves on Purfleet Scrape including…