Dengie Marshes

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Tillingham Marshes, part of the Dengie Marshes

The Dengie Marshes overspread much of the eastern part of the Dengie Peninsula of Essex. Within the marsh is the Dengie Nature Reserve, of 7,673 acres, declared a Site of Special Scientific Interest for biological and geological interest.[1]

The marshes are found between the estuaries of the Blackwater and Crouch near Bradwell-on-Sea in Essex. It is a declared National Nature Reserve,[2] a Special Protection Area,[3] a 'Nature Conservation Review' site,[1] a Geological Conservation Review site[4] and a Ramsar site.[5]

In addition, the marshes are part of the Essex Estuaries Special Area of Conservation.[6]

An area of 30 acres is the Bradwell Shell Bank nature reserve, which is managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust.[7]

It consists of large, remote area of tidal mud-flats and salt marshes at the eastern end of the Dengie Peninsula. The Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall overlooks some of the site.

Habitat

This is a wetland of international importance and provides habitats for:

  • Bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica)
  • Hen harrier (Circus cyaneus)
  • Grey plover (Pluvialis squatarola)
  • Red knot|knot (Calidris canutus)
  • Black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa islandica)
  • Dunlin (Calidris alpina alpina)
  • Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
  • Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)
  • Dark-bellied brent goose (Branta bernicla bernicla)
  • Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
  • Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus)
Sunken barges used as a breakwater, in the northern part of the reserve
View southward near the Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall


Outside links

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("Wikimedia Commons" has material
about Dengie nature reserve)

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 SSSI listing and designation for Dengie
  2. Essex's National Nature Reserves - Natural England
  3. Dengie (Mid-Essex Coast Phase 1) - Joint Nature Conservation Committee
  4. Dengie (Coastal Geomorphology - Joint Nature Conservation Committee
  5. Designated and Proposed Ramsar sites in the UK and Overseas Territories & Crown Dependencies - Joint Nature Conservation Committee
  6. "Essex Estuaries". Joint Nature Conservation Committee. http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/protectedsites/sacselection/sac.asp?EUCode=UK0013690. Retrieved 6 December 2015. 
  7. "Bradwell Shell Bank Nature Reserve". Essex Wildlife Trust. http://www.essexwt.org.uk/reserves/bradwell-shell-bank. Retrieved 26 February 2016.