A Day at Rainham Marshes

30th October 2025

A few hours to spare so off to Rainham Marshes to receive my welcome from the House Sparrows outside to visitor centre.

First stop was the Purfleet Hide for breakfast but met with a rather quiet scene. A tractor had been topping the grass around the scrape and therefore the mere was totally devoid of birds, so after a quick cup of tea time to move on to the MDZ. Very quiet here as well but a Dabchick provided the entertainment.

Now on to the refurbished Butts Hide and what a good job they have done. Here the scrape has been re-profiled and a couple of Pied Wagtails were enjoying the freshly turned mud.

At the Ken Barrett Hide a female Pheasant was strutting her stuff....................

........................and just look at those tail feathers!!!

In the margins a Snipe was feeding quite close to the hide

But the star of the show here today was the Grey Wagtail which came within just a few yards, allowing some close-ups.

In the woodland, a single Goldfinch was waiting for his turn on the feeders.

Now back to the Purfleet Hide and birds were starting to return to the mere. The nearest bird was this Little Egret feeding in the shallows...................

....................and then showing us just how big the fish it caught was.

Winter ducks are now returning like this female Wigeon................

.........................and drake Teal.

The shoveler couldn't seem to make us their mind. Some males were still emerging from their eclipse plumage...................

....................while others had finished some time ago.

But the stars of the show today were the 6-7 Pintails. which unfortunately were keeping their distance.

And the female waved us goodbye.

Another great day at Rainham and good to meet Sid Stanley and have a catch-up with Messrs Plume, Lay, Bell and Tranfield.