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Salcott Cum Virley

Essex  >  United Kingdom

Salcott Creek is yet another great tidal inlet estuary, part of the Blackwater. Internationally important site for thousands of visiting birds.

Tillagd* av Nick E. Warner
Senast uppdaterad 31 mars 2025

Beskrivning

Salcott Creek is a simple ,level walk along side the tidal estuary creek. The site is best accessed from the Village of Salcott-cum-virley. A footpath from the village to the sea wall takes you across farmland where you may see tofsvipa, sånglärka and a selection of gulls feeding on the fields. Try and get to Salcott creek on a rising tide (see the link to the tide table below). This can give the best results from a bird moment aspect. When you step up on to the seawall the site and sounds of the Essex Marshland is very evocative. Listen as well as look. rödbena are nearly always the first bird you will be alerted to. bläsand, Kricka and gravand are a safe bet to be seen soon on. storspov are both sides of the wall, the Creek is to your left and the farmland to your right. Many birds can be seen feeding on the sensitively grazed grasslands. Species such as the thousands of prutgås which winter along the Blackwater Estuary. tofsvipa, storspov and ljungpipare, some of the grassland is flooded in the Autum and winter months. This will lead to many birds feeding on the water log soils.

Looking back over the estuary with high tide, prutgås on the water are often accompanied by småskrake and over the winter by grebes and divers. gråhakedopping and svartnäbbad islom are recorded here. The barrow dykes often with sedge reed will have warblers in Summer and Sävsparv, skäggmes and cettisångare in winter.

The whole site is hunted over by brun kärrhök, jorduggla and wintering blå kärrhök. Pilgrimsfalk are much a bird which should be looked for sitting on low posts across the site. stenfalk is always a delight to see resting on a fence post or low flight hunting. Large flocks of mix waders moving around the marsh waiting for the tide to uncover the rich feedings of the mut flats. These will include rödspov, kärrsnäppa, skärfläcka, kustpipare and strandskata.

The grass banks of the seawall will often have a selection of finches such as hämpling, steglits and possible vinterhämpling. All in all making this coastal site a worthwhile visit.

Detaljer

Tillgänglighet

Salcott-cum-Virley is just of the B1026 which goes from Colchester to Tollshunt D'Arcy. This is the bus route 92 or 50 50A Colchester to Tollesbury. Parking is limited in the village, but there is a small parking spot opposite the Church, where you can now walk down to the Creek. Press P on the map for directions to the parking spot.I think one should allow at least 3 hours for a birdwatching visit to this site.

Terräng och habitat

Våtmark , Flod , Hav / ocean , Vassar , Slätt , Spridda träd och buskar , Damm , Gyttjig strand , Jordbruk

Förhållanden

Platt , Sumpigt , Halt , Öppet landskap

Rundtur

Nej

Tubkikare behövs?

Kan vara användbart

Bästa säsong för skådning

Året runt

Bästa tid för ett besök

Vinter , Höststräck

Rutt

Grusväg , Bred stig

Hur ansträngande vandring

Lätt vandring

Nås

Till fots

Fågeltorn / plattform

Nej

Länkar

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