Rainham Marshes Serins....

[wolfbirder]

Can any one please advise me how reliable these lingering birds are? I note they have been seen daily about 1km west from the visitors centre beneath the inner sea wall. Are they loyallly favouring this area or do they go missing for long spells?

Tempted to visit this weekend for what would be a UK lifer tho Norfolk or Yorks look far more tempting at present (tho no lifers currently).

Serins I guess form gaps on quite a lot of birders UK lists, perhaps like Tawny Pipits or Kentish Plovers....all species quite easy to see on 'not-too-far-away' foreign shores but buggers to pin down here!
Any advice would be appreciated.

[jalethbridge]

They appear to be very site faithful actually, and I have now seen them twice in almost exactly the same place, and 8 days apart. Park at the visitor centre - you can pop in and ask for precise directions - but essentially take the concrete cycle path that goes west past the visitor centre and alongside the thames. After about 3/4 mile there is a small carpark on your left, a grassy slope ahead of you, and the path bends around to the right and slopes up and left, past some gorse on the left (where there have been some dartfords btw). As the path bends around to the left, there is a jutty-out bit on the right hand side. The Serins have been favouring the slope that will be in front of you at that point, as well as getting further around to the west, on the slope between the cycle path and a water-filled ditch. They are seen more often than goes out on the pager. Basically check that slope from the end of the raised lagoons to the jutty-out bit. They have been loosely associating with linnets and goldfinches. Good luck.
Jonathan

[wolfbirder]

Thank you very much Jonathan. Excellent info, weather looks dire but will probably drive down on Sunday (unless anything really enticing crops up elsewhere!).

Thanks again for going to the trouble.

[dbradnum]

Jonathan's directions are spot on, though just to add that they do go missing at times, since there's a lot of habitat on the tip and silt lagoons that cannot be viewed. I only got a brief view in 2-3 hours last weekend. Mornings seem to be better in general.

However, if I were you I'd think twice about going there in preference to the east coast this weekend! Forecast is very promising, and there's already quite a bit being found. The Serins may well hang around for quite some time... but the sibe mega might not!

[wolfbirder]

Cheers for that David, sort of torn but I know something good is likely to pop up on the east coast.

Just not sure i will get a better chance of seeing Serin for a long time. I had thought I might just pop along and tcik off the serins then drive on to Norfolk. In reality I know it will not happen like that. Rainham Marshes does not open until 9.30a.m. and when i was last there the gates were padlocked until opening time. Is there a road nearer the favoured area (car park mentioned in the second post), that I could locate as it would reduce the walk and allow access prior to official opening?

[Xenospiza]

You don't have to go into the reserve to see the birds. The sea wall and parking are (if I'm not mistaken, I never drove there) accessible at all times.
(I'm sure someone will set me straight about the parking – otherwise park in Purfleet and take the footbridge to the reserve).
From the west side it would be a long, long walk, because you can only get past the huge rubbish tip by foot or bike.

[jalethbridge]

Thats correct, the birds are not in the reserve. PM sent.

[lostinjapan]

The Serin's do indeed favour the area mentioned, but at least one juvenile has been seen on the feeders near the centre.

The parking is not open until 9.30, so you will have to walk in purfleet and walk along the cycle path, which carries along the river's edge to the birds favoured area.

On Tuesday afternoon we saw a male bird feeding alone close to the ground in weed, at the near end of the bank between the marsh and the slope, which is re-landscaped tip. The following morning the three juveniles were in with a large mixed group of finches which was very mobile and in 3 hours we got only brief views of them perched up on tall white weeds. We also had more prolonged views of a female in an elder bush along the same ditch.

This area also has 2 or 3 Dartford Warblers, lots of Stonechat, Reed Bunting and the finch flock has had 7 species in all (Goldfinch, Linnet, Twite, Brambling, Chaffinch, Greenfinch and Serin).

The birds are more active first thing, but it is bittely cold along there. On Wednesday we also located an adult Caspian Gull, as well as a 1st winter Yellow-legged Gull among the gulls loafing on the grassy fields below the tip.

Good luck and wish I was heading up to Norfolk tomorrow!

Sean:t:

[wolfbirder]

Many thanks everyone for all the excellent info received. Sure it may help more than just me.

[Perry Grin]

Many thanks everyone for all the excellent info received. Sure it may help more than just me.

Certainly does, I'm planning a trip tomorrow but will now try to get there extra-early for the serin....

Thanks

Perry

[wolfbirder]

Finally, sorry to ask, but does anyone know if they have been seen today? Have not seen any reports but I suppose they are long stayers now so people less likely to report them.

[Lichfield Birder]

Finally, sorry to ask, but does anyone know if they have been seen today? Have not seen any reports but I suppose they are long stayers now so people less likely to report them.

Weren't seen by 10am, just a few Goldfinch

[birder of the south]

Me and my mate went down for the Green Heron in Kent via Rainham Marshes earlier this week to look for the Serins. Although not a lifer for me and my Dad we managed to see 1 bird whilst my mate who did need Serin didn't manage to see a bird after about a good hour, hour and half or searching.

Cheerz,
Lee

[wolfbirder]

Cheers lads, maybe they have gone. Sods law (but my own fault for delaying - had plenty of chance!)

[Youth]

No sign of any Serin this Pm though weather wasn't good! wind rain, no one I spoke to had seen any sure they are still there though

[Perry Grin]

No serin this morning, but a kind gent there did help me onto the Dartfords - tick!

[wolfbirder]

I was on the verge of going down, but it would have been a £40 petrol trip, so i awaited any news. No sign on Saturday either so guess i made the right decision.

Still thanks again to those who helped so much. They may re-appear but it does seem they have now gone. Will not get a better chance of this species in the UK!

[dantheman]

Given the weather over at least part of the weekend there must be a chance they're still about??

Anyway, what was the thinking on the origin of these birds. Possibly a male, a female and 3 juveniles. Presumably local breeders (ie locally in Essex somewhere rather continental?)

[dan pointon]

2 still yesterday.

[BobTag]

Still there today

[wolfbirder]

Oh bugger! Wrong call made again! Should have gone after all. Maybe next weekend .

[Xenospiza]

I spoke a few people who'd been to Rainham throughout the week. They noted that there are also plenty of people claiming Greenfinches, Goldfinches and Linnets as Serins...
Learning the call should be helpful.

[jalethbridge]

As far as I know, they are not vocal so learning the calls won't help much, but I have only seen 3 of the reputed 5 different birds present, none of which made any calls whatsoever, but perhaps the other 2 are loudmouths.

[GorgeousTony]

Anyone know if the Serin are still about? I'm hoping to visit on Saturday

Tony

[jalethbridge]

1 reported this morning, still at west end

[Brian Stretch]

Now at least 7 today per RBA!

[wolfbirder]

Thanks for all the great instuctions from those in this thread - got there at last this morning and saw a 1st winter streaky bird. Another UK tick !

Indeed the favoured area to look around is about 30 yards either side of the cycle/footpath sign that says "Purfleet 1.8km, Rainham 4km" (Rainham Marshes RSPB visitors centre not being 4km away by the way- it's only three-quarters of a mile away). These distance markers are set out regularly along the path so the area should not be difficult to find. Baically you look down over a bank and ditch with expansive fields behind. The bird I saw was directly beneath us about 15 yards away in a bush by the ditch. Plenty of Goldfinch and 3 Redpolls too.:t: