Seasalter & District

Situated just west of Whitstable the Seasalter Levels cover an area of about four to five square kilometers and is owned by various people and organizations.  It is surrounded by roads, with no pavements, no footpaths and very little public access making it a difficult area to observe.

The area I watch is roughly bounded by Yorkletts and Wraik Hill to the south, and westwards to just beyond the Sportsman PH. where the wall starts, and to the east, by the housing estate.

The whole area is fed by two freshwater springs, one from Yorkletts and the other from Boughton. These feed a network of reed fringed dykes and ditches and finally reach the sea at the Environment Agency's pumping station at Seasalter. The vegetation consists mainly of improved, rough grassland with virtually no trees or bushes. Winter rains give rise to large areas of standing water which attract duck and roosting waders.  During the spring and summer months, skylarks and meadow pipits dominate the scene along with reed and sedge warblers and perhaps the odd redshank and lapwing.

The seashore is composed of shingle and shells and low tide exposes a vast area of mudflats and mussel beds which attract many winter waders and Brent geese. Overwintering finches and buntings can be found along the beach and at the eastern end of the beach near the Ski Club there is usually a large wader roost at high tide.

In addition, I watch other sites within the old Whitstable Urban District Council Area, (WUDCA). which have collectively, amassed 248 species  (Nov.2005).  One  regular  destination is the  Clowes

Wood complex which holds most woodland species although nuthatch seems to have deserted us.

Any records and observations from the Whitstable area would be gratefully received for inclusion, please email to Mike Gould by clicking here.