RSPB Rainham Marshes, Essex

 

Friday 29^th December 2023

RSPB Rainham Marshes

Ashdown Bird Group

(5 members present)

John Edwards suggested this outing to compensate for the cancelled trip to Wallasea Island on 12^th December.  With 3 hides, Rainham provided more shelter from the elements.  The choice of date also gave us the chance to get some much needed exercise during the festive break.

It was overcast with some sunny spells but the rain eventually arrived - thankfully after we had completed our visit.  We took the clockwise route from the Visitor Centre, calling in at Purfleet hide, Shooting Butts hide and Ken Barrett hide on the way. 

 

Altogether we spotted 54 bird species, nothing particularly rare but all very welcome. 

 

Water birds were most abundant, of course, on this reserve.

• The most handsome birds on show were the pintail ducks.  They looked majestic as they moved through the water.  Altogether there were well over 30 present.

Courtesy of Martin Jeffree

·         At this time of year all the common water birds would be expected to be in superb plumage and that was the case.  

• The teal, wigeon and gadwall looked especially good.

 

• We caught a superb flight view of 8 black-tailed godwits. 
• At least 3 snipe were tucked in the vegetation at the water’s edge.

 

• Raptors were there too.  Marsh Harriers always catch the eye and there were at least 3 showing well today.

• Alison was quick off the mark and caught an image of the sparrowhawk as it swooped in and out of view.

 

•  Several kestrels and a buzzard were also seen.

 

 

The highlight for me came from the winter thrushes.

• Initially we saw lots of redwings flying towards the trees near the Visitor Centre.

• As we moved round the reserve we saw more and more fieldfares, in flight and perched, in the trees along the footpaths.

 

Everyone agreed it was a good trip and well worth the effort.

 

 

 

Thanks Alison for all the lovely pictures – they were much appreciated.

Bob Hastings

 

Species list:

Name:	count		Name:	count
Black-headed Gull	1		Little Grebe	28
Black-tailed Godwit	2		Long-tailed Tit	29
Blackbird	3		Magpie	30
Blue Tit	4		Mallard	31
Buzzard	5		Marsh Harrier	32
Canada Goose	6		Meadow Pipit	33
Carrion Crow	7		Moorhen	34
Cetti's Warbler	8		Mute Swan	35
Chaffinch	9		Pheasant	36
Collared Dove	10		Pied Wagtail	37
Common Gull	11		Pintail	38
Coot	12		Pochard	39
Cormorant	13		Raven	40
Curlew	14		Redwing	41
Dunnock	15		Reed Bunting	42
Fieldfare	16		Robin	43
Gadwall	17		Shelduck	44
Goldfinch	18		Shoveler	45
Great Black-backed Gull	19		Snipe	46
Great Tit	20		Song Thrush	47
Grey Heron	21		Sparrowhawk	48
Greylag Goose	22		Starling	49
Herring Gull	23		Stonechat	50
House Sparrow	24		Teal	51
Jay	25		Tufted Duck	52
Kestrel	26		Wigeon	53
Lapwing	27		Woodpigeon	54

Species count = 54