A nature trek up the A13

Decisions, decisions. There are some amazing places on this planet to go birding. The Amazon, The Galapagos Archipelago, The Camargue, Cley etc..... and of course, the A13.

To be fair, the RSPB reserves along this strip of tarmac from Canvey to Rainham are rather good.

West Canvey Marshes
The day was getting very hot and my mum would have had a fit as I forgot to wear a hat or carry any fluids. This was the first time I had been to the West Canvey Marsh reserve but found it small and simple. A couple of open hides and well signposted directions made the whole experience pretty good.

Headless Mediterranean Gull
Birdlife was a bit thin on the ground with only the odd Skylark or Whitethroat calling . There was however a Mediterranean Gull in with the Black-headed Gulls, exactly as the information board said there would be. Actually, there was more happening in the world of lepidopterology. Now I don’t know much about butterflies and moths except they’re a lot easier to sneak up on and photograph than birds.

Meadow Brown
Small Skipper
The next stop was Wat Tyler Country Park and Vange Marshes. These reserves sit beside a huge landfill site at Pitsea and there is a constant convoy of heavy duty refuse vehicles pounding the road past the reserves.

Things were quiet with just a pair of Green Sandpipers flying over and a Black-tailed Godwit on the Scrape at Vange. So it was onwards to Rainham Marshes. Rainham had the best of the birds with 5 Greenshank and a very nice Pectoral Sandpiper which preferred to stay distant.

Small Tortouiseshell
It wouldn’t come any closer!
Little Grebe. Couldn’t get much closer


Grey Heron
Chicory

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