Birding Rainham Marshes, UK in winter….

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When: November 2024 Weather: COLD.. zero C

Nikon P900

A kind birder whom I’d met at London Wetland Centre had suggested Rainham Marshes in Purfleet as a worth visiting location as I was staying in Tower Hill, London. So I hopped on a train at Fenchurch St Station and was at Purfleet in half an hour…..Rainham Marshes was just a short walk away……

dawn over east london
it’s a pleasant walk along the thames estuary from the station to Rainham Marshes
a blue tit wished me good morning
european starlings are more colourful than I thought
Interesting cut outs of WW2 soldiers fringing the estuary…there was also a plaque commemorating John Newton, a local pastor who penned the song Amazing Grace when he survived a storm in the estuary!
magpie robin
from afar the visitor centre looked more like a factory….but there’s a little cafe and some souvenirs inside…nice friendly people there though who advised me where to go
this is the ramp leading down to the marshes and I did the circular route in about 2 hours with stops for shots
the Rainham Marshes circular route
it was a freezingly cold morning but there were still some birders around!
the northern lapwings were out in force!
close up of northern lapwing
in flight
and displaying
several rather smart looking common snipes
a common shelduck
Mr and Mrs Wigeon admiring each other
european stonechat
eurasian chaffinch
common though the robin is, it’s always a sight to behold
and in the reeds, the reed buntings were busy
reed bunting….there was loud singing from the Cietti’s warbler but alas it wouldn’t show..
Blackbird
as the sun came up, it melted the ice on the poles…
and on the way back to the station…this white wagtail hopped about
and a long tailed tit in the distance bade me farewell…

Although it was an absolutely freezing morning, it was still an interesting outing just outside London….next time I’ll come in summer!

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