Welcome to the first "edition" of our own page on the KOS web-site.

We'll be keeping you up to date with what's happening at Northward Hill and the other NW Kent RSPB reserves - latest sightings, forthcoming events, ongoing management work etc.

For those of you not familiar with the NW Kent Reserves, here's a quick summary:

Northward Hill:
At 291 ha, the largest of the NW Kent reserves. The NNR woodland has been in RSPB ownership since 1956, with Bromhey Farm bought in 1990 and other smaller acquisitions added up to 1997. Much of the recent management on site has been the conversion of the arable farmland back to the coastal grazing marsh that existed prior to drainage in the 1960's and 1970's. The success of this work is evidenced by the return of breeding species like lapwing, redshank, avocet and marsh harrier; and the increase in wintering waterfowl like wigeon and teal. Ideal conditions on the marsh have produced peak counts of over 4000 waterfowl - a far cry from the counts of a decade ago when wigeon were recorded in single figures and 200 teal was a notable count! Additionally, the ditches are full of a wealth of other wildlife including water voles, dragonflies and a multitude of beetles. The wood is still the site of the UK's largest heronry, currently standing at 155 pairs of grey herons, with little egrets present since 2000. From 2 pairs in that year, they have expanded to almost 50 pairs in 2004! The woodland is also famous for it's colony of white-letter hairstreak butterflies, it's nightingales and the display of bluebells in the spring.

Shorne Marshes:
159 ha of neglected marsh bought from the MoD in July 2000 with the aid of grants from Bretts Aggregates and Kent County Council, Shorne is in the process of being re-established as an integral part of the North Kent Marshes area of coastal grazing marsh. Work on site to date has included installing a series of earth dams and timber sluices to isolate most of the ditch system, erecting fences and gates to break the marsh down into more manageable grazing blocks and the removal of large areas of invasive hawthorn scrub. The work has seen breeding waders increase from 2 pairs of redshank at the last recorded census in 1996, to 21 pairs of redshank, 9 pairs of lapwing and a drumming snipe in 2003. Wintering duck numbers have increased from a handful to regular counts of up to 500. Bearded tits have been recorded in the small area of reed on the reserve and Cetti's warbler have colonised the main ditch along the southern boundary. Passage waders now can include spotted redshank, wood and green sandpipers, ruff and black-tailed godwit. Montagu's harrier has been recorded in 2 of the last 3 years. Other wildlife present include water voles, great crested newts, scarce emerald damselflies and a recently discovered colony of the wasp spider.

Higham Bight:
57 ha of intertidal mud and saltmarsh on the south side of the River Thames, midway between Shorne and Cliffe Pools and acquired in 1994. Continued erosion of the existing saltmarsh has seen a reduction in the importance of the site as a high tide wader roost, but the mudflats hold good numbers of wading birds in winter (including up to 500 avocet) and on passage, and are used as a loafing area by gulls in late summer. In July and August these groups of gulls invariably include numbers of yellow-legged gulls. Strong winds in the autumn often push sea-birds like skuas, little gulls, black terns and Leach's petrels into the Bight.

Rye Street:
63 ha of grazing marsh between Cliffe and Cooling and acquired in 1995, this reserve is run in conjunction with Northward Hill. Generations of wardens have wrestled with the problems of getting enough water onto the site, but recent developments have given hope for the future. In terms of exciting wildlife spectacles, Rye St is very much in the shadow of it's more illustrious neighbours, but it was always known as a good place for Montagu's harrier. Tawny pipit, stone curlew and quail have all been recorded and there are good populations of water voles and scarce emerald damselflies. It's other major claim to fame is as one of only 2 sites (Elmley being the other) where the rare Maid of Kent beetle (Emus hirtus) has been recorded in recent years.

Nor Marsh:
77 ha of saltmarsh island and mud in the Medway Estuary. It is nationally important for wintering shelduck, pintail, grey plover  and turnstone and for passage black-tailed godwit. It is also internationally important for wintering redshank. Breeding birds include a redshank, ringed plover, meadow pipit and reed bunting. In recent years, small numbers of little egrets have taken to roosing on Nor at high tide. Best views over the reserve are had from Horrid Hill in Riverside Country Park; and from the reserve at Motney Hill.

Motney Hill:
25ha of intertidal habitat, adjoining the Motney Hill peninsula on the south side of the Medway Estuary. The reserve is nationally important for wintering great crested grebes and for passage black-tailed godwit. In recent years, it has become internationally important for knot. Views over the estuary and Nor can provide views of various wildfowl and waders. The latter can include several hundred avocet in winter and an autumnal roost of spotted redshank. This is also a good area to look for the rarer grebes, occasional divers and sea duck like red-breasted merganser, goldeneye and common scoter. Check the flocks of black-headed gulls for Med. gulls. Access is from the Lower Higham Road onto Motney Hill Road. There is a public car park a short walk along the sea wall from the peninsula.