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Description
Blue House Farm is a nature reserve managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust. As you leave the small gravel car park, through the first of many gates, the landscape opens up to series of mix grazing meadows. The live stock here help manage the grasslands. Conservation grazing and fresh water flooding has transformed this 287 hectares site.
In the winter the landscape is feeding ground to thousands of Brent Goose, and numbers of Greylag Goose, Barnacle Goose plus Canada Goose all can be seen.
A massive fencing project has made it safe for birds to feed and breed with out ground preditors disturbance. The flooded reed lined scrape areas have three hides from which you can view many wading and water bird species. Breeding Avocet and Northern Lapwing. The reeds beds have Bearded Tit, Sedge Warbler and Reed Warbler. The flooded scrape is great for migrating waders such as Green Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Spotted Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit and Ruff. The waders can be seen moving between the flooded areas and the estuary when the tide is low feeding on the food rich mud flats. Such species as Eurasian Curlew, Common Shelduck, Dunlin, Little Egret and the odd Great Egret. At high tide Red-breasted Merganser, Little Grebe and Great Crested Grebe are common here.
Summer time Corn Bunting, Reed Bunting and Eurasian Skylark will be breeding across the reserve.
Raptors will include, Eurasian Kestrel, Common Buzzard, Western Marsh Harrier, wintering Hen Harrier and the occasional Eurasian Hobby. Many rare species have turned up on this amazing site and well worth a visit during migration both spring and autumn.
Details
Access
Blue House Farm is south of the village of North Frambridge, Essex, CM36GU. OS GRID REF TQ857969. The carpark is located down a small road Blue House Farm Chase off the junction Frambridge Rd and The Avenue. Press P on the map for directions. The circular walking route that starts from the carpark is about 5 km.
North Frambridge has a train station and is walkable to the reserve from there.
Terrain and Habitat
Grassland , Wetland , River , Pond , Reedbeds , Agriculture , Mud flats , SeaConditions
Flat , Open landscape , Wet , SlipperyCircular trail
YesIs a telescope useful?
Can be usefulGood birding season
All year roundBest time to visit
Spring migration , Autumn migrationRoute
Wide pathDifficulty walking trail
Average walkAccessible by
Foot , Bicycle , Car , BoatBirdwatching hide / platform
YesExtra info
Visitors should be aware of the cattle and sheep which are loose on the reserve. As you go through the gates of diffrent areas some fields will have live stock in.