Rainham Marsh (1 Viewer)

Saturday and my first trip to Rainham RSPB reserve. Took with me 3 enthusiastic 10 - 11 year olds from school plus a parent. After a little difficulty in finding it arrived and immediately were in with the birds overhead and at the feeding stations. A target of 40 species had been set by the children. Goldfinches and greenfinches gave the children a chance to sharpen their binocular skills. Also wigeon and cormorant overhead. Firstly a walk along the riverside for a few gulls, redshank and a dunlin. Suddenly a commotion amongst the gulls attracted our attention and just had time to glimpse a mobbed hen harrier (female) heading east down the Thames.
On to the reserve and great views of little egret, gulls, reed buntings, pintail and snipe. Grey herons around and 1 chiffchaff calling. Our total at this point was 36 but still no tits, chaffinch or blackbird so confident of exceeding the total. A kestrel followed by blue tit and collared dove made it 40 and then a few extras, pied wag, great tit and robin along with a singing dunnock took us well over.
Coffee in the shop and then back oto the M25 and M11 got us home in less than an hour.
Superb reserve certainly on my list for regular birding sessions as easily accessible from Stortford. Children had a good day with many good views through my scope of new birds for them.
Regards,
Jono

jforgham said:

Saturday and my first trip to Rainham RSPB reserve. Took with me 3 enthusiastic 10 - 11 year olds from school plus a parent. After a little difficulty in finding it arrived and immediately were in with the birds overhead and at the feeding stations. A target of 40 species had been set by the children. Goldfinches and greenfinches gave the children a chance to sharpen their binocular skills. Also wigeon and cormorant overhead. Firstly a walk along the riverside for a few gulls, redshank and a dunlin. Suddenly a commotion amongst the gulls attracted our attention and just had time to glimpse a mobbed hen harrier (female) heading east down the Thames.
On to the reserve and great views of little egret, gulls, reed buntings, pintail and snipe. Grey herons around and 1 chiffchaff calling. Our total at this point was 36 but still no tits, chaffinch or blackbird so confident of exceeding the total. A kestrel followed by blue tit and collared dove made it 40 and then a few extras, pied wag, great tit and robin along with a singing dunnock took us well over.
Coffee in the shop and then back oto the M25 and M11 got us home in less than an hour.
Superb reserve certainly on my list for regular birding sessions as easily accessible from Stortford. Children had a good day with many good views through my scope of new birds for them.
Regards,
Jono

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Sounds good. It's a cracking place. If you get a chance, the walk along the river towards Rainham barges in winter (probably too late now) is well worth it. Lots of waders, and the occassional diver.

Top marks for taking the time to propogate such enthusiasm with the children - something we should all do when opportunities arise.

Allen said:

Top marks for taking the time to propogate such enthusiasm with the children - something we should all do when opportunities arise.

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Hi Allen,
Thanks for the comments. Always good to take groups of children out who are interested. Obviously a long day for them, meeting at 9.00am at school on a Saturday and them being returned home between 3.30 - 4.00pm. Due to a birthday party for one member only had 3 children with me, normally 10 - 14!! Consequently had more time to set up scope and help with binocular skills when only 3. They are always keen and a pleasure to be with. So many social skills involved and just an appreciation of the outdoors. All three were excited watching the ships on the Thames, buying RSPB badges, eating crisps and sandwiches as well as seeing snipe, pintail and litle egret through my scope. Just a good day out. Also they walked maybe 4 miles. Check out http://www.summercroft.herts.sch.uk/
and then click on pupils and then bird club for some info regarding this school club. Some of the powerpoints I do for school before we go whilst others have been put together by the group as a type of report that they show in school assembly. Last trip this term. After Easter off ringing juveniles in nest boxes at Rye Meads, and having a walk around another of our local haunts, Amwell gravel pits where presently there is the little bunting. Over the last year or so covered quite a few sites with a big trip to Titchwell last December. Group got a reasonable 64 sp for the day. They were just as excited by a turnstone as a white rumped sandpiper. A lesson for all of us there, I think.
Regards,
Jono

Jono

Great site...I am a Governor of a local Primary School and I have done some bird watching with the children in the School Grounds they were really enthusiastic!! - some have been to Barnes as part of the Mayors free scheme for Primary's in London.

I was thinking about doing an after school club for the summer term and getting a little birding club together.

Your website is great and will save me reinventing the wheel! The RSPB site is also good.


Rainham I went their with a friend for a few hours last week for a first visit to the new facilities...we did about half of the site -not the Thames side and saw 35 species...heard the Chiffchaff!!

Great stuff Jono - good on you for organising this!

Did you mention the Hen Harrier to anyone in the reserve centre? As I'm sure you knowm it's a good record for London - there hasn't been one seen on the reserve for a couple of months.

Cheers

David

jforgham said:

Saturday and my first trip to Rainham RSPB reserve. Took with me 3 enthusiastic 10 - 11 year olds from school plus a parent. After a little difficulty in finding it arrived and immediately were in with the birds overhead and at the feeding stations. A target of 40 species had been set by the children. Goldfinches and greenfinches gave the children a chance to sharpen their binocular skills. Also wigeon and cormorant overhead. Firstly a walk along the riverside for a few gulls, redshank and a dunlin. Suddenly a commotion amongst the gulls attracted our attention and just had time to glimpse a mobbed hen harrier (female) heading east down the Thames.
On to the reserve and great views of little egret, gulls, reed buntings, pintail and snipe. Grey herons around and 1 chiffchaff calling. Our total at this point was 36 but still no tits, chaffinch or blackbird so confident of exceeding the total. A kestrel followed by blue tit and collared dove made it 40 and then a few extras, pied wag, great tit and robin along with a singing dunnock took us well over.
Coffee in the shop and then back oto the M25 and M11 got us home in less than an hour.
Superb reserve certainly on my list for regular birding sessions as easily accessible from Stortford. Children had a good day with many good views through my scope of new birds for them.
Regards,
Jono

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dbradnum said:

Great stuff Jono - good on you for organising this!

Did you mention the Hen Harrier to anyone in the reserve centre? As I'm sure you knowm it's a good record for London - there hasn't been one seen on the reserve for a couple of months.

Cheers

David

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Hi David,
Surely did: spoke to a chap (Trevor?) at the desk who informed that they are seen occasionally. Fleeting glimpses were all that were afforded but a hen harrier was all it could have been at this time of the year. Shame I didn't pick it earlier as it was flying east from the stone barges. Only when I saw the gull commotion did I pick it up before it disappeared around the meander in the river towards the QE bridge. Saw a few ringtails in Poland recently but this was a first for this year in England
Regards,
Jono