Rainham Marshes

Bees and wasps...

2013-05-25T04:06:00Z

It is still fairly quiet on the insect front but Lawrence Rogers got some great shots the other day of several species of solitary bee and wasp in the wildlife garden.

I will add more names once I have fathomed them all out!

Ichneumon wasp

You can see the ocelli on the head between the true eyes of this little bee.

Nomada sp wasp (I think)

Andrena bee sp (again note the ocelli)

and I think that this one is Tawny Mining Bee....

Back to see us...

2013-05-24T17:52:00Z

At least two Harbour Porpoises have been back with us on the Thames today as they fed over the incoming tide. This is good news after the two dead animals we had during April. Preliminary reports suggest starvation due to the unseasonably stormy weather during the early spring led to their demise.

(Brenda Clayton)

24-5-13

Come and visit...

2013-05-24T12:42:00Z

We have waited a long time to be able to say 'Come and see our Kingfishers' and I reckon that at the moment you would have to wait no more than half hour to get fabulous views just outside the Marshland Discovery Zone.

And at long last Ptolomy Elrington's magnificent recycled metal Kingfisher is not alone.

(Jerry Hoare)

24-5-13

Glorious evening

2013-05-24T08:51:25Z

Last night was our first Dusk Walk and Late Night Opening for the season. It had been a cold, grey, blustery day with showers but the sun came out for the end of the day and although the temperature actually dropped those on the walk had a great time and got fabulous views of the Kingfishers, Marsh Harrier, various warblers, Cuckoo and the mad Swifts.

I manned the centre and amused myself by taking pictures of the wonderful skies and sunset...

Looking towards Fords with rain hanging high....

24-5-13

Love in the sunshine...

2013-05-23T04:25:00Z

The occasional spells when the sun pokes through seem to spur the local wildlife into action in the love department. Dawn Cowan caught these two Holly Blues at it the other morning!

The female is the laregr one on the right...

23-5-13

Waders still trickling through

2013-05-22T22:28:00Z

Last night Shaun Harvey had seven Turnstones out on the reserve (possibly a site record) and today there were three Sanderling in Aveley Bay along with ten Ringed Plover, two Grey Plover and four Dunlin which all came onto the back of Aveley Pool at high tide.

Turnstones (SHa)

Lapwings are still doing very well with even more chicks out and about. Tony Houston even had an adult drop a recently emptied eggshell right in front of him on the path! The drake Garganey was seen again on the back of Aveley Pool and Swifts were once again parting hair on teh river wall.

An excellent shot of a Swift by Shaun

22-5-13

Incy wincy underwater spider...

2013-05-22T21:04:00Z

We have hoped for many years that we would find a special type of spider out on the marsh and today the visiting school kids did just that for us with a fine Diving Bell Water Spider (Argyroneta aquatica) being caught out near the Reedbed Discovery Zone. Julie Peeling (one of our Field Teachers) is rather keen on this species and I reckon you could hear her whoops of delight from the visitors centre....

This is underwater .... and you can just make out the silvery air bubble.

There is a great little video on the RSPB Rainham Marshes Facebook page if you have the time.

22-5-13

Waiting for dragons

2013-05-22T10:59:00Z

With the weather being so grotty, Hobbies have been having a poor time of it in recent days and in such conditions can often be seen just loafing around waiting for things to improve. Mark Phillips got some great shots on Saturday and this is pick of the bunch.

22-5-13

Stuck in the throat....

2013-05-22T04:50:00Z

22-5-13

...no they didn't!

2013-05-21T18:50:25Z

No sign of the grebes today in very cold and blustery conditions but a few waders in the Bay and hundreds of close flying Swifts more than made up for it.

Cuckoos are still around and both Mike Hughes and Tom Bell have got recent shots...

(MH)

(TB)

21-5-13

Will they stay?

2013-05-21T10:24:22Z

No news yet today but these two Black-necked Grebes were the standout highlight from yesterday as they made themselves comfortable on Aveley Pool. Hopefully I will be able to update later to say they are still there.

(Andy Tweed)

21-5-13

Careful where you land...

2013-05-21T04:54:00Z

With insect life starting to come to the fore once again, it becomes imperative that if you are a non-predatory insect that you look where you land otherwise you may fall prey to the clutches of Misumena vitae.... the White Crab Spider

A Green Veined White perishes..... Matt Adam Williams

And do check out Matt's blog....

21-5-13

Almost left behind...

2013-05-20T08:48:00Z

This Golden Plover was seen on several days last week. Now mostly in breeding plumage, it should really be on its way at least as far as the Pennines to breed. Seemed quite at hoome amongst the anthills.

Great shots by Steve Drake

20-5-13

Bigger than you think...!

2013-05-20T04:34:00Z

It is not until a feeding Swift hurtles past your ear at a great rate of knots that you get a fell for just how big the bird is. Seem to recall that it has a wingspan of about 30cm so that is a lot of wing on a slim body and a tremendous amount of power to put to good use hawking for insects and avoiding dashing opportunistic Hobbies!

Last week was definitely a Swift Week with several day with literally 100's pouring through the reserve at low level and reducing the chironomid midge population but the 1000!

(Clive Watts)

(Bill Crooks)

20-5-13

Ablutions...

2013-05-19T16:21:29Z

Now, it's not often that you get involved in the nitty gritty morning ablutions of a bird but our Kingfishers are under such close scrutiny that almost every moment can be captured....

This is one of those occasions when the pictures tell the story.... (imagine the sound of me discreetly coughing into my hand at this point...)

I am truly impressed with the volume, range and potential terminal velocity.....

If that is what a small fish diet does to you I may give it a miss.....

...and then of course a serious wash and brush up is required....

Great shots by Brenda Clayton

and a little bit of Richard Duhrsen video to finish things up nicely....

Please click here as videos are still not embedding.....

19-5-13