Reports, with Bird Lists, of our Meetings, Walks and Outings
Rainham Marshes RSPB 2016
Saturday all day walk
On a very frosty morning 12 people turned out to Rainham Marshes in Essex.
It was a good day's birding with a total of 63 species, including a few rarities which we don’t see around the Maidenhead area. These birds were Short Eared Owl and Water Pipit, which made the trip worth making.
I think that most people were very impressed with the site and facilities, especially the path that went right round.
All the ducks were there - Wigeon, Teal, Pintail, Shoveler, Shelduck, etc but it was rather short on waders. There were some waders on the adjacent Thames estuary, but they were difficult to identify because of the sun shining on the water and mud flats.
Rainham Marshes RSPB, 16/1/2016, frosty
Mute Swan
Greylag Goose
Canada Goose
Shelduck
Wigeon
Gadwall
Teal
Mallard
Pintail
Shoveler
Pochard
Tufted Duck
Pheasant
Cormorant
Little Egret
Grey Heron
Little Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
Marsh Harrier
Kestrel
Moorhen
Coot
Golden Plover
Lapwing
Curlew
Redshank
Snipe
Black-headed Gull
Common Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Rock Dove
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Short-eared Owl
Kingfisher
Green Woodpecker
Magpie
Jackdaw
Carrion Crow
Goldcrest
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Skylark
Cetti's Warbler
Long-tailed Tit
Chiffchaff
Wren (Heard)
Starling
Blackbird
Fieldfare
Redwing
Robin
Stonechat
Dunnock
House Sparrow
Pied Wagtail
Meadow Pipit
Water Pipit
Chaffinch
Greenfinch
Goldfinch
Reed Bunting
62 Bird Species seen + 1 heard
12 People
Rainham Marshes RSPB Reserve, March 2012 photo Rolf Williams (rspb-images.com)
Meet at 9.30 am in the reserve's car park, off New Tank Hill Road, RM19 1SZ. Car park entrance at OS TQ551790 Lat/Long: 51.4891,0.2338
Good for birds such as raptors, bearded tits, short eared owl and many more. Also other wildlife.
Ancient, low-lying grazing marsh in the Thames estuary. Wet grassland and ditches, rank grassland and scrub, opened to the public in 2000, after over 100 years as a firing range. Also a small area of woodland.
Bird watchers may see avocet, lapwing, egrets, peregrine, marsh harrier, merlin, bullfinch, stonechat, ringed and golden plover, oystercatcher, water and rock pipit, snipe, chiffchaff, starling, curlew, dunlin, redshank, wigeon, shelduck, pintail, kingfisher, short-eared owl, gulls and geese.
Mammals on the reserve include red fox, stoat, weasel and water vole.
View across Rainham Marshes from the visitor centre photo David Levenson (rspb-images.com)
The car park opens by 9 am. The reserve and cafe are open 9.30 am to 4.30 pm. Charges - RSPB members free, non-members: £5 adult, £3 child, £15 family (two adults and up to four children)
Facilities
- Visitor centre looking across the marshes
- Cafe - drinks, hot and cold snacks, with views over the marsh
- Shop - optics, books, bird food and feeders, clothing
- Car park (£1 donation requested)
- Toilets, Disabled toilets
- Picnic area
- Guided walks available
- Four hides plus viewing areas, three nature trails with boardwalks.
- Once round the reserve is about two and a half miles.
- Thames riverside path is accessible and adds another mile.