Oare Marshes Local Nature Reserve

Site Details


Location: Map Reference : OS Map 178 TR 013647
On the south bank of the Swale Sea Channel, 1¼ miles north of Oare Village, near Faversham. Bus 333 from Faversham, Sittingbourne and Maidstone to Oare village (1¼ miles from reserve).


Directions:

From the A2 on the west side of Faversham, take the turning to Oare at the roundabout.  Turn left at the next junction (sign posted to "Oare").  In Oare village turn right to "Harty Ferry" at the Three Mariners Pub.  Continue to the end of the road.

Status:
Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Ramsar Site (internationally important wetland), Special Protection Area (SPA), Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA), Local Nature Reserve (LNR)

Access & Visitor Facilities:
Car parking is provided at the end of the road near the sea wall. Access is restricted to the public footpath and waymarked paths to minimise disturbance to birds. There are 3 bird viewing hides and a roadside viewpoint overlooking the East Flood. A nature rail leaflet is available from the East Hide.  There are no toilets on the reserve.

Disabled Facilities:
Much of the reserve is accessible to wheelchair users including both hides on the east side and the roadside viewpoint.  Special gates and ramps have been installed to improve access.  Excellent views of the East Flood can be obtained from the roadside viewpoint and a space has been allocated for disabled visitors.  The Swale Estuary can also be viewed from a vehicle by driving onto the top of the sea wall near the main car park.  Please show consideration to others by moving your vehicle to one of the car parks as soon as you have finished looking.   There is a small disabled only car park about 150m from the east hide. The paths are generally even and level.

The following points should, however, be born in mind:

  • the 300m path to the West Hide is unsurfaced and there are slopes and steps which make it inaccessible to wheelchair users and unsuitable for people with mobility problems
  • the 200m stretch of path beyond the East Hide is also unsurfaced and the slope at start of this section has a 1:8 gradient which may present difficulties to some
  • the surface of the main car park and the 1500m path on the sea wall consists of crushed limestone, a surface which is unsuitable for conventional wheelchairs with solid tyres
  • the gangway over the sea oufall about 1000m from the car park on the east side has a 45cm high step at both ends
  • please take great care when using the road as a path because there are no speed bumps or other traffic calming measures to slow vehicles down
  • there are benches at intervals of less than 100m along the paths to the east and west hides but no benches on the sea wall 


Points of Interest:
The reserve consists of 69 hectares (170 acres) of grazing marsh with reedbed, freshwater and brackish dykes, 'wader scrapes' and saltmarsh.  Adjacent to the reserve are the extensive mudflats of the Swale estuary and Faversham Creek.

The site is of international importance for wetland birds. Suitable habitat is achieved through manipulation of water levels and carefully controlled livestock grazing. The reserve supports an exciting and diverse range of species.

 

Breeding season - Little Egret*, Marsh Harrier*, Water Rail*, Avocet*, Snipe*, Redshank*, Shoveler*, Gadwall*, Teal*, Pochard*, Garganey, Ruddy Duck, Barn Owl*, Little Owl*, Kingfisher*, Bearded Reedling, Hobby, Mediterranean Gull, Little Tern, Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, Yellow Wagtail, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Cetti's Warbler*, Reed Bunting*

*all year

Passage - Black-tailed Godwit, Little Ringed Plover, Greenshank, Spotted Redshank, Ruff, Little Stint, Knot, Common Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Osprey, Montagu's Harrier, skuas, Leach's Petrel, Black Tern, Arctic Tern, Kittiwake, Little Gull, Whinchat, Wheatear


Winter - divers, grebes, auks, Brent Goose, Red-breasted Merganser, Bar-tailed Godwit, Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Curlew, Wigeon, Pintail, Merlin, Peregrine, Hen Harrier, Rough-legged Buzzard, Short-eared Owl, Bittern, Stonechat, Rock Pipit, Water Pipit, Twite

N.B.  The above list is not exhaustive

Rarities - Cattle Egret, Purple Heron, Glossy Ibis, White Stork, Spoonbill, Green-winged Teal, Goshawk, Red-footed Falcon, Baillon's Crake, Black-winged Stilt, Kentish Plover, White-rumped Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, Lesser Yellowlegs, Red-necked Phalarope, Grey Phalarope, Temminck's Stint, Long-tailed Skua, Sabine's Gull, Caspian Tern, White-winged Black Tern, Bee-eater, Hoopoe, Savi's Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Red-backed Shrike, Great-grey Shrike, Barred Warbler