• Highlights from the marshes

    Highlights from the South Essex Marshes yesterday.

    West Canvey Marsh
    2 black-necked grebes, pair found on the fleet reservoir during the morninig
    1 cuckoo
    2 mediterranean gulls

    Pitsea scrape (Wat Tyler Country Park)
    32 black-tailed godwits
    2 cetti's warblers

    Vange Marsh
    1 grasshopper warbler ('reeling' on the former county tip, a second bird was also reported on the reserve during the morning 'reeling' near the eastern…

  • West Canvey Marsh

    The weather could not have been better as the gates to the reserve were opened to the public for the first time. A beautiful warm sunny day attracted a stream of visitors throughout the day. Birds seen during the day included a wheatear along the seawall, three yellow wagtails catching insects disturbed by the cattle. Three lesser whitethroats sang from the hedgerows and a mediterranean gull bathing in front of the far…

  • West Canvey Marsh opens to public

    We’ve dusted the ducks, polished the playground and watered the wetland - West Canvey Marsh is opening to the public this weekend.
     
    A great day out with nature, the brand new 250 hectare site boosts a lagoon, wildlife trails and an adventure playground - made from all natural materials to allow kids to scramble and climb. 
     
    Also sharing the space is lots of wildlife from  watervoles and hedgehogs to butterflies and…
  • Summer migrants continue to arrive

    Vange Marsh not one but now two grasshopper warblers, 1 'reeling' on the county tip and the other in the eastern end reedbeds. Wat Tyler Country Park a hobby circling over our visitor centre early afternoon is our first returnee.

  • Ah Grasshopper!

    A grasshopper warbler this afternoon 'reeling' in the north east corner of Vange Marsh. At Wat Tyler Country Park the first swift of the year was seen over the visitor centre along with 3 house martins and a male cuckoo continues to call near Holly Cottage hide.

    Our blue tits laid their seventh egg today, drop by the visitor centre for live close-up views on CCTV. Last year they laid elleven, can they beat that…