This was the first visit to this reserve for many of the twenty people who attended the trip.
From the Visitor Centre, there is a panoramic view of the reserve. We were given maps of the reserve and one of the staff told us what we could expect to see in the various areas.
There were many water fowl on the marsh in front of the Visitor Centre. Most species of duck could be seen together with Little Egret, Mute Swan, Canada and Greylag Geese. On a small island close to the Centre there were up to six Snipe.
We continued to the small wooded area. Here there were Great and Blue Tit, Wren, Robin, Greenfinch, Goldfinch and Chaffinch. A single Fieldfare was present. Reed Bunting and Dunnock were seen around the feeding station
Continuing around the reserve great numbers of Lapwing and Golden Plover kept taking to the air. We scanned the sky for any raptors that were putting the birds up but did not see any.
We passed the reed bed that holds Bearded Tit, but it was too windy for them to show.
At a point furthest from the visitors centre, a flooded area held hundreds of gulls.
This area is where the reserve holds gull workshops. There were five gull species;
Greater and Lesser Black-
As we returned to the visitors centre for lunch, a Curlew was on the marsh and Black-
After lunch we walked along the River Thames, but as the tide was in, there was no foreshore and we did not see any waders.
Although we did not see any unusual birds, over fifty species were seen. The RSPB has done a great job in creating this reserve. What is more it is easy to reach from Hemel Hempstead. The staff and volunteers at the centre were most helpful. I will certainly return.
Dave Jones
photographs by Phil Farrer (PF) & Stuart Harrison(SH)
RSPB Rainham Marsh Saturday 23rd February 2008
Scrapes and reedbed near the
visitors’ centre (SH)
Gulls, Lapwing and Golden Plover with industry in the background (PF)
The large gull roost (PF)
The popular visitor centre (SH)