Rainham Marshes is an oasis of green in Purfleet, Essex. It is owned and managed by the RSPB, a series of reclaimed marshes on the north side of the River Thames. Nature is contained in this small space surrounded by bland infrastructure; flyovers, power stations and even the Channel Tunnel Rail Link beneath. You would think that not much would live here, but it is in fact a wildlife gem.
We visited on the Saturday 27th March. It is accessible by public transport - London overground and then the Essex Coast to Coast service to Purfleet, followed by a short walk to the reserve. We spent a good few hours there. There is lots to explore; the area was previous used for military training and is sprinkled with army paraphernalia; shooting ranges and bunkers.
We kept a little list of all the things we saw:
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Sparrows
Collared dove
Little egret
A tree full of bees, the air full of scent
Blackbird
Shelduck
Wigeon
Lapwing
Reed bunting
Snipe?
Blue tit
Moorhen
Coot
Mute swan
Mallard
Golden plover
Pheasant
Heron
Magpie
Woodpigeon
Thrush
Dunnock
Tufted duck
Skylark, a melodic song high in the sky
Chiff chaff
Wren
And I ate a magnificent home-prepared packed lunch - home baked dark chocolate biscuits were a particular favourite.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment