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RSPB Wallasea Island Wild Coast Project

Essex  >  United Kingdom

Reserve that covers more than 740 ha, with saltmarsh, mudflats, lagoons and grazing marsh.

Added* by Michael Bliss
Most recent update 10 ноември 2022
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Description

Wallasea Island Wild Coast Project is a landmark conservation and engineering scheme for the 21st century, on a scale never before attempted in the UK and the largest of its type in Europe. The aim of this project is to combat the threats from climate change and coastal flooding by recreating the ancient wetland landscape of mudflats and saltmarsh, lagoons and pasture. It will also help to compensate for the loss of such tidal habitats elsewhere in England. Wallasea Island sits within an SPA which covers the Crouch and Roach estuaries and which is special for overwintering waders and wildfowl including Brent Goose. The habitat creation has now been completed with the final phase creating a series of shallowly flooded saline lagoons in the southern part of the island to attract over wintering waders and wildfowl and in the summer nesting birds such as сабјарка, мал пескар and maybe even Црвенонога сабјарка. Other birds you can encounter are блатна еја, блатен був, патка берија, патка свиркач, речна чигра, црноопашна блатарка, црвенонога тринга, остригар, голем српоклун свиркач, сиво блатарче, обичен свиркач and чапја лажичарка.

Details

Access

From the historic market town of Rochford take the Ashingdon Road until you see the brown tourism sign at Brays Lane and follow these to the RSPB Wallasea Island Wild Coast. Parking is free and there are designated disabled parking bays. The reserve is free to enter. There is a small surfaced car park and all trails are grass paths. The sea wall footpath which runs along the northern side of the reserve along the River Crouch, providing uninterrupted views to the north of the river, is open at all times. The reserve itself is open at all times between 8am and 8pm or dusk, whichever is earlier. There are four walking trails – Jubilee Marsh, Allfleets Marsh, Marsh Flats and South Trail.

Terrain and Habitat

Mud flats , Wetland , Grassland , River

Conditions

Open landscape

Circular trail

Yes

Is a telescope useful?

Can be useful

Good birding season

All year round

Best time to visit

Spring , Autumn migration , Spring migration

Route

Wide path , Narrow trail

Difficulty walking trail

Easy

Accessible by

Foot

Birdwatching hide / platform

Yes

Links

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Map

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