Outing to RSPB Rainham Marshes
On 3rd June, some of the Bird Watching Group plus 2 guests made an outing to RSPB Rainham Marshes. What a fantastic day we had. It was so quiet there, hardly any people. We did get a bit hot and most of us ended up wearing hats!
The really big highlights were that we spotted an Avocet fly over, for some of us this was the first time ever that we saw this bird for real. Also we were really excited to see Marsh Harriers, but of course without Sue we probably would not have been able to identify these.
We saw so many Lapwings in flight!
And we saw and heard many frogs, so called Marsh frogs, including one very nearby so we really got to see the emerald green stripes!
Right at the end, having a much needed cold drink at the lovely cafe, we even spotted seals on the banks of the Thames during low tide!
Here is a list of the birds that we spotted:
- Herring gull
- Skylark (heard)
- Pied wagtail
- Wren (heard)
- Blackbird
- Goldfinch
- Great tit
- Cettis warbler
- Blackcap
- White throat
- Chiff chaff (heard)
- Magpie
- Starlings (lots and lots and lots)
- Sparrows
- Greenfinch
- Mute swan with cygnets
- Greylag geese with goslings
- Canada geese with goslings
- Shelduck
- Shoveller
- Gadwall
- Mallards with ducklings
- Wigeon
- Pochard with ducklings
- Tufted duck
- Pheasant
- Great crested grebe
- Cormorant
- Little egret
- Grey heron
- Marsh Harrier
- Moorhen with young
- Coot with young
- Avocet
- Lapwing
- Black headed gull
- Reed bunting