Elmley Marshes

Elmley is one of the finest examples of coastal grazing marsh in the country and, despite it's proximity to Medway and the developing North Kent coast, it has a wild and remote feel.

Coastal grazing marsh consists of saltmarsh and mudflats reclaimed from the sea - a process begun as long ago as Roman times. Due to modern land useage, this habitat has become scarce in the UK - over 50% has been lost since the 1950's. Elmley RSPB reserve is part of the largest block of grazing marsh remaining in south-east England. Cattle and sheep have grazed the marshes for the last 200 years and this type of management continues on the reserve today.

Elmley is both nationally and internationally important for breeding lowland wet grassland waders and wintering waterfowl. It is also one of the best places in the UK to see birds of prey.

A visitor to the reserve in spring will see displaying waders like lapwing, redshank and avocet. One or two pairs of black-tailed godwits also nest on the marsh. Newly arrived wheatears favour the seawalls and yellow wagtails follow the herds of grazing animals. This is a good time to see migrant waders like ruff  and spotted redshank in their breeding plumage.

During the summer, look out for the scarce water vole along the reserve ditches. The introduced marsh frog is also a feature of the reserve at this time of year. The first returning passage waders (usually a green sandpiper or spotted redshank) will already have re-appeared by the end of June and duck numbers start to increase by the end of July. Dark juvenile marsh harriers join the adults hunting the fields and marshes around the reserve. This is the best time of year for insect life on the reserve - many species of dragonfly can be found, including the small red-eyed and the scarce emerald damselflies. Butterflies are attracted to the wealth of flowers growing on the seawall and everywhere can be heard the distinctive buzzing "song" of Roesel's bush-cricket. The rare Maid of Kent beetle (Emus hirtus) was re-discovered here in 1997 after an absence of over 30 years.

Early autumn sees the return wader passage in full swing. Elmley is one of the best sites in the country to see spotted redshank in July, with over 50 birds often roosting on the Flood. Other passage waders include curlew, green, wood and common sandpipers, little stint, greenshank and ruff. Scarcer species like pectoral sandpiper and red-necked phalarope can also turn up at this time of year. Migrant whinchats are also a feature of the autumn at Elmley.

As the marshes flood at the end of the year, huge numbers of waterfowl arrive from the continent. Thousands of wigeon and teal, lapwing and golden plover; and hundreds of mallard, shoveler and pintail use the reserve for feeding and loafing. High tide brings roosting waders like dunlin, knot and grey plover onto the reserve. 6 or 7 species of raptor are almost guaranteed, with both hen and marsh harriers present in good numbers and merlin, peregrine and short-eared owl all likely. Rough-legged buzzard and common buzzard regularly winter on Sheppey these days and occasionally something like a wintering red kite will show up. If the weather on the continent freezes up then white-fronted geese and Bewick's swans will arrive during December and the Swale can see species such as great northern diver, red-necked grebe and common scoter.