Get good at gulls... a drop in workshop!  Get a little help with your gull identification with our Gull Guys.  Look out for our Gull Guys in yellow tabards and hopefully get to spend some time checking gulls on the river and foreshore as they commute to and from the landfill.  Whether you are after some basic gull id help or after a bit more detail, this session will be for you.

Park at the Riverside Car Park opposite the…

Well, we all survived the rather angry attention of Doris yesterday. She was with us from breakfast, whipping up a frenzy of rather irate white horses across the turbulent Thames before occasionally vaporising the spume into a wall of hurtling mist that would hit the windows of the centre like a stampede. That old and wondrous Guinness advert kept springing to mind...

The building shook, the floor vibrated, the light…

Our Nightingales urgently need your support...

Please visit the link http://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/campaigning/lodge-hill/ to find out more and have your say.

Today is not so nice with grey skies and a hoolie blowing out there but in the sunshine of Monday there were three Brimstones on the wing in the woodland... quite amazing... lovely shot by David Hicks.

Apologies for the lack of blog posts and recent sightings of late... must do better. The last week has seen a complete mix of weather with driving (but not settling) snow last weekend through to the balmy climes of the last few days. Bird song has filled the air most mornings with Skylarks, Dunnocks, Robins, Wrens and Song Thrushes proclaiming their territories while Cetti’s Warblers have began warming up out on…

Twelve years ago a suited and booted gentleman (in a Gunners winter coat) started with us here at the reserve. Terry Robinson became our Facilities Manager and ensured that everything in and around the building (once we had built it) was running tickety-boo and a lot more besides and behind the scenes. He has been an indispensable part of the team ever since but now is the time for him to at last retire (he has already…

Good morning everyone,

How are you?

This February join people like you across the UK, in showing the love for the special places and wildlife you cherish and don't want to lose. There are a couple of things that you can do to support - wear a green heart and help save a special place for wildlife... read on for more.

Show the Love for the special places we don't want to loose through climate change

Good morning everyone.

How are you?

I just wanted to remind you know that the Shooting Butts Hide will be closed from about 3pm today, Thursday 16 February, for filming. There may be some filming activity around the hide and near the Reedbed Discovery Zone area from 3pm onward.

Hi everyone,

How are you?

I just wanted to let you know that the Shooting Butts Hide will be closed from about 3pm on Thursday 16 February for filming. There may be some filming activity around the hide and near the Reedbed Discovery Zone area from 3pm onward.

Last year a whole bunch of enthusiastic volunteers ventured out in to Tern Island, in the centre of Pagham Harbour in Sussex (at low tide I may add) to carry out a vegetation clearance project (weeding) to ensure that there is plenty of open shingle for the returning Little Terns in April. It is an ideal opportunity to view the reserve from a different aspect, which few have the opportunity to do.

If you are interested…

Our Big Garden Birdwatch takes place this weekend and we’re working hard to make it the biggest and best we’ve ever had in the South East.

Please do spare sixty minutes over 28, 29 or 30 of January to check out the birds you see at home*. You can share photos too, just tag them #BigGardenBirdwatch and post to any of the following RSPB social media pages:

Twitter.co.uk/RSPBUrban

Twitter.co.uk/RSPB_S…

Thursday dawned gloomy and grey but there was no frost but the wind more than made up for it keeping temperatures below freezing today for anyone brave enough to linger outside. Just how the boardwalk work party stuck at their task today is beyond me... hats off.

My first job this morning was to top up the feeders and water and put out the 14 apples I had brought in. I have found over the years that birds are more likely…

It has been a good morning and I have barely set foot outside the visitors centre.  It was very cold again with a thick frost and no hope of the ice melting across the pools and the Common Snipe were all initially huddling along the edges although most have now woken up and are now probing the margins which appear to have defrosted slightly.  I could not find a Jack Snipe but fortunately on flew in off the saltmarsh and…

The big old Crack Willow adjacent to the Ken Barrett Hide finally gave up the ghost last week in the rain, wind and snow and one of the huge limbs broke away from the main trunk and almost came over the path.

On Wednesday a team of guys from Keith Archer's Tree Care descended upon it in an effort to tidy things up, make it safe and hopefully give it a chance to regrow from the base in the spring.

Before

After

The team have been working at a great pace at replacing the worn out boardwalk alongside the Dragonfly Pool and Rifle Butts and are actually ahead of schedule with the generally kind weather helping them to lay more plastic boards per day than they anticipated.

Doug lining up the kick rails...

They team have not been alone down there and the Robins and Stonechats have been following their every move before flying…

Hi everyone,

Just to update you - you can now walk the whole loop of the reserve.

The tree surgeon has finished - although don't forget about the temporary footpath by the Dragonfly Pools!

 The black line shows the section of boardwalk that will be closed, the red line shows the temporary footpath.

We have created a temporary footpath so that you can still enjoy a nice walk around the whole reserve.

The footpath…

Monring everyone,

how are you today?

I just wanted to let you know about access onsite.

A section of the Northern Boardwalk will be closed for part of the day - we have a tree surgeon onsite looking at a tree near the Ken Barrett hide. For a short while (we'll keep you up to date) you won't be able to do the complete loop - you can get to the Ken Barrett hide, and to the northern boardwalk platforms but not in…

Sorry for the lengthy absence but I was called up for Jury Service from the 3^rd and have only just made it back to work... anyway, having performed my civic duty I am glad to be back and have even managed some mini walks to reacquaint myself with my patch.

The marsh is looking great but we are still woefully short on water although the recent pathetic excuse for ‘snow’ and some rainy days have wetted up some areas where…

Morning all... Just a quick plug for a very special talk this evening in Hornchurch... For those of us of a certain age, Peter Holden, as the man in charge of the YOC, was the figurehead of what we aspired to be as budding Young Ornithologists, And so here I sit 37 years after I first became a member, typing a piece to enthuse you to go and listen to Peter still singing the virtues of everything the RSPB gives to the…

And so a new year begins... I got in at about six and dropped the drawbridge at seven and despite the darkness and cool breeze and imminent rain, there were still birds to be had.

Robins were singing when I arrived and were joined shortly afterwards by Carrion Crow, Wigeon, Lapwing, Curlew, Redshank and rather strangely in the dark - Collared Dove.

The other 'normal' ducks were added soon afterwards along with both…

Evening all....

So lets start with today's sightings... 31st December: 22 Avocet, Grey Plover, 21 Golden Plover, Water Rail, Mistle Thrush, 3 Snipe, Buzzard, 2 Stonechats, 2m1f Marsh Harrier, Barn Owl, 2 Short-eared Owls, Water Pipit, 12 Fieldfare, 40 Redwing and all the usuals... the Short-eared were not seen unti last knockings today and even then they were out on Wennington.

Now to tomorrow.... a New Year...…

It has been an exciting few days since Christmas with a real mix of wintry weather with foggy mornings and glorious afternoons, misty rivers, rich sunsets and frozen, frosty ground.

Frosty Dog Rose - Clive Watts

Jerry Hoare with very, very long legs...

A foggy Dawn - Lee Spence

Frost needles - Helen Mathias

Not sure if this species of mammal is on the site list? - Tony O'Brien

Thrushes and Owls have…

It is Boxing Day and hopefully the wondrous excesses of yesterday are momentarily behind before round two starts imminently and with that in mind I thought I would let you know about our ‘new look’ regular walks that we shall be hosting throughout the coming new year.

Up until now (and for about as long as the reserve has been open to the public!) we have had three weekly walks that have, over the years,…

Morning all... Happy Christmas!

Hope you all have a good festive time and see you all on the 27th when we reopen!

and a suitably appropriate Robin from Jo Collins!

Oh and and yes I will be opening up at 7am on New Years Day!

25-12-16