Trip reports
Minibus trip to RSPB Rainham Marshes Sat /Sun 13th-14th Feb
Monday, 15 January 2007
What a transformation! From a sea of mud and dereliction to wide board walks and tarmacced paths skirting scrapes and ponds alive with wildfowl. Standing over this is a state of the art visitors centre, where, if you wish, you can purchase an excellent cup of coffee and delicious apple pie, and consume whilst you gaze through the panoramic windows overlooking the reserve.
However, it is the birds we had come to see, and with Colin's directions, we headed off to find the 2 rarities that had appeared, A Grey Phalarope and Penduline Tit.
As luck would have it, both birds were in he same vacinity and when fed up with scanning for the highly elusive Penduline Tit, turning round the Grey Phalarope could be observed in the pond opposite.
Eventually, most of Saturday's group had seen the Penduline Tit along with Stonechat, Reed Bunting and a female Black Redstart.
Moving on ,scanning through the gull roost a Caspian Gull was identified amongst the 100's of Herring Gull. With the light fading and species tally mounting , we left to drive to the Dagenham end of the marshes to visit the "stone barges" a well known site for wintering Water Pipit, and were not dissapointed.
Sunday's group were not so lucky, as both the Grey Phalarope and Caspian Gull had gone and the Penduline Tit proved even more elusive, except for a few of our group who patiently stayed rooted to the spot throughout the trip and eventually had good views.
Again the"stone barges" turned up trumps and good views were obtained of the Water Pipits.
All the group members were agreed that Rainham is a superb reserve and can only get better.