A Mid-summer Visit to Rainham Marshes

16th June 2021

Our first visit to Rainham for a while so it will be interesting to see how things are getting on. The most pleasing aspect of Rainham is the welcome you get, not only by the staff, but also the House Sparrows. There is often a crowd of them in the car park which chirp to you while you get ready.

Around the trails there were also plenty of Linnets making the most of the numerous bramble bushes. It would appear that the Lapwings were having a rather quiet day with no alarm calls and erratic flights seeing off potential predators. This one was returning from a feeding trip to Aveley Bay.

At Ruddy Ditch by the MDZ, a number of Four-spotted Chasers were patrolling the margins looking for prey and females. I call this ditch Ruddy Ditch as it is often rammed full with a huge shoal of Rudd. It also has its fair share of Marsh Frogs.

At the Ken Barrett Hide a Great Crested Grebe was struggling to control a Three-spined Stickleback. Let's hope that when it gets it down head-first the spines fold backwards!!

Also on the pool were a pair of Tufted Duck and a female Pochard with young. Good to see the Pochard brood as they are not too common down the Lea Valley.

And last but not least, birdsong. Considering that we are now in mid-June there was still a reasonable amount of song. Interesting to see that both this Reed Bunting and Whitethroat chose a Hawthorn bush as their song perch.

But todays prize goes to this Sedge Warbler that was not only singing his heart out but also posing with the sun in the right direction. I wonder how he knew?