Hello from rainy Essex

[Robert Burgess]

Hi there fellow members,just joined up today after hearing about this website via someone i spoke to last week at Rainham Marsh' RSPB reserve,looks like a cracking website and i look forward to speaking and maybe meeting some of my fellow members.
I live in Upminster,Essex approx 4 miles from The Rspb Rainham Marsh reserve and i am a regular there along with various other sites in the Essex area.
I am 33 years young and have been birding since i was 4 although seriously since around 1998 as other things like beer and women took over my life in my teenage years!
Luckily i have got rid of one of the above,well down to only one lucky lady at the moment ha ha but still enjoy thee odd beer or two.Anyway hello from me and happy birding/twtiching to you all,hope you all have a good year with plenty of lifers.:smile::smile::certifiable:

[Colin Key]

Welcome Robert.

Although I spend most of my time in Portugal we also have a house in Blackheath, SE London and popping over the Thames was fairly easy and quick. I have never been to Rainham since it became an RSPB reserve but I remember it well before it did so and spent some happy times there; it used to be a "cert" for Short-eared Owls in winter and both Water and Rock Pipits down by the 'Stone Barges'. My wife hated it - she always referred to it as "container land".

Colin

[Robert Burgess]

lol,they are doing the area around the barges up now,there is a walkway all the way to the reserve,the area is going under a huge regeneration programme at the moment.
Yes rainham is still good for short eared owls,they are reported pretty much daily on the reserve and i have had water pipits over there frequently in the last few weeks.
Last year seemed a good year for rock pipits but i haven't seen any this year for some reason but there are plenty of other birds to see on and around the reserve.
Plenty of waders and wildfowl and the reserve will only go from strength to strength as it is managed more.

[AndyB]

Hi Robert, thanks for the intro. Welcome and hoping you find your visits useful.

[Robert Burgess]

Certainly am,nice to speak to some likeminded people for a change.All my mates think i am wierd because of my passion for birds.Well they do when there's a big group of them,secretly they all ring me up when they are on their own asking for information and ID for whats in their gardens.

[john robinson]

Welcome Robert.
JohnR

[andy22]

hello robert, welcome abord
I live about 20mins from Rainham and i am regulary there!! maybe we will bump into each other some time?

andy

[Robert Burgess]

yeah no problems mate.I am usually over there at least once a week,not this weekend though as i am off upto norfolk!!