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Blue House Farm

Essex  >  United Kingdom

Nature reserve with managed mixed grazing flood meadows and reed beds. Alongside a tidal estuary and mud flats.

Added* by Nick E. Warner
Most recent update 6 június 2025

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 Örvös lúd, and numbers of Nyári lúd, Apácalúd plus Kanadai lúd 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 Gulipán and Bíbic. The reeds beds have Barkóscinege, Foltos nádiposzáta and cserregő nádiposzáta. The flooded scrape is great for migrating waders such as Erdei cankó, Szürke cankó, Füstös cankó, Nagy goda and Pajzsoscankó. 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 Nagy póling, Bütykös ásólúd, Havasi partfutó, Kis kócsag and the odd Nagy kócsag. At high tide Örvös bukó, Kis vöcsök and Búbos vöcsök are common here.

Summer time Sordély, Nádi sármány and Mezei pacsirta will be breeding across the reserve.

Raptors will include, vörös vércse, Egerészölyv, Barna rétihéja, wintering Kékes rétihéja and the occasional Kabasólyom. 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 , Sea

Conditions

Flat , Open landscape , Wet , Slippery

Circular trail

Yes

Is a telescope useful?

Can be useful

Good birding season

All year round

Best time to visit

Spring migration , Autumn migration

Route

Wide path

Difficulty walking trail

Average walk

Accessible by

Foot , Bicycle , Car , Boat

Birdwatching hide / platform

Yes

Extra 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.

Links

View other birding spots in the area that are published on Birdingplaces

Map

Top 5 birds

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