(Please note this page will remain a 'work-in-progress'. Additions/ alterations/ amendments will be notified via the blog as/when they occur.)
Walk One: St. Mary's Island
Walk Two: The Strand
Walk Three: Riverside Country Park (west)
Walk Four: Riverside Country Park (east)
Walk Five: Motney Hill
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Walk One:
St. Mary's Island
Salt worn and weary eyes cast back
See hard lives carve proud history
Sailors, traders, whores or heroes
Kin of a river’s family
Strong, lithe and young she’s sailing on
Horizons unseen, glories grow
Future floods in, past ebbs out
A city’s story, far to flow
(N. S Jenkins)
Find the statue, find the poem.
Many birders are familiar with the No. 2 Basin on St. Mary's Island, relatively quick and easy to view from roadside car parks in its south-western corner. It is fair to say it is unusual to find a birder exploring further, but if you have the time, a walk around the island can be productive. (The walk is worth considering if you are trading off time with a partner for at the shopping complex alongside the Basins!)
St. Mary's Island is at the very head of the estuary, and by now the mudflats have shrunk, attracting only small numbers of waders outside of any real cold snap, but birds can and do follow the river and the Hoo ridge opposite. The Basins, remnants of the Old Naval Dockyard, are best in winter, but are used as a flight path by terns in the summer months. At that time older buildings nearby still house a small colony of House Martins which will feed over the water. The parkland, 'the Bunds', running through the centre of the island can produce small numbers of passage migrants in season.
Details:
Map reference: TQ770701
what3words: clock.below.notes
Distance: 3.8 km circular walk. (The Bunds are 0.9 km in length.)Time: Allow up to one & a half to two hours for birding the circular walk, three hours if including the Bunds.
Open: Public footpaths, open access land, open at all times.
Nearest train station: Gillingham, 3.2 km
Parking: Ample in the Dockside Shopping Centre during their normal opening hours (check for latest time restrictions). Limited on-road parking can be found on St. Mary's Island.
Toilets/restaurant facilities: In Centre during normal opening hours.
The route:
(This walk is described as I would normally take it, you may of course start from any of the points described.)
If arriving by car, to avoid the crowds at the shopping centre, travel onto the island via Maritime Way, heading right (east) at the roundabout along Island Road East, turning right (south) onto Restharrow Way at the next large roundabout. From Restharrow Way head south to Watersmeet then east to the find the start of the footpaths (A).
You may scan No. 2 Basin and No. 3 Basin from this point. No. 2 Basin is the most undisturbed, and has the most open water.
No. 3 is probably the most underwatched. It is best viewed from the raised southern edge of the East Bund, though bear in mind this is a working dock, and your viewing may be limited by berthed vessels. This Basin is the most attractive to Cormorants (and Shag), having more plentiful haul-outs, especially at the eastern end.
Head north on the path along the top of the Bund. The more open areas are good for picking up visible migration in autumn. Distant views east over Short Reach to Hoo Island are possible from close to the dog exercise area. Many other spots on the southern shore do not give you such height to scan over Hoo Island.
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| The Eastern Bund, looking north |
Continue on the main path until it drops away into Phalarope Way, to join the river path at Finsborough Ness (B). This is a wheelchair accessible path, and for those with limited mobility there are several benches close to the start (but well spaced thereafter- on-road parking is possible in Phalarope Way).
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| Finsborough Ness |
Immediately below you are Finsborough Flats. These are very small mudflats which merge into the larger Bull Nose Flats to the south. Port Werburgh Flats and Hoo Island lay opposite. The woodland on the northern shore is Gull Down Plantation, the red-brick ruin Cockham Fort.
Continue west on the seawall path alongside Cockham Reach (C) watching for birds following the river. The hanging woodland opposite is Cockham Wood, and can produce fly-over raptors. The village of Lower Upnor appears next on the far shore. The first Pier there essentially marks the head (end) of the Estuary. The old marker, the London Stone, a small obelisk, can be just made out c. 40 metres east of the Pier. Beyond this point you are following technically a tidal river stretch.
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| Lower Upnor |
The path soon swings south-southwest alongside Upnor Reach, affording excellent views over to Upper Upnor and Upnor Castle (D). The path now finishes, turning inland and over No. 1 Basin Lock. No.1 Basin now houses a large Marina, and there are limited stretches of open water. Follow Leviathan Way south then Dock Head Road east to the car park servicing the Ship and Trades public house (E) to scan more open waters.
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| No. 1 Basin, seen from Maritime Way Bridge |
Next walk north along Maritime Way back over the bridge, then cross to the north-eastern corner of No. 2 Basin, from where you can access the Floating Boardwalk (F), which leaves the Basin back at the start point (A).
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| The Floating Boardwalk, No. 2 Basin |
You can also explore the Bunds. From (A) head north to the dog exercise area where below you, looking west, you will see a path entering the central section of the Bunds.
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| Part of the Central Bund |
Expect:
Winter: Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Mute Swan, Cormorant on Basins. Outside chance of sawbills and Divers. Oystercatcher, Curlew, Redshank, Dunlin on flats. Brent Goose, Shelduck, (Red-breasted Merganser), on river. Peregrine, Grey Wagtail by river. Goldcrest, (Firecrest), the Bunds. Occasionally hard weather movements overhead.
Spring: Mediterranean Gull on river, very small nos. of common Spring passerine migrants.
Summer: Sandwich, Common Terns over Basins, House Martin, Swallow, Swift, (Hobby) overhead.
Autumn: Small nos. of common passage migrants, more esp. visible migrant spp. (Occasionally good movements of Brent Geese, terns, following river inland may be encountered). Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail along river.
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Walk Two:
The Strand
Intro:
“On returning to Gillingham from Fair Isle in 1983 I soon found myself back in my old job running the local outdoor swimming pool on the south shore of the Medway close to Chatham Dockyard- again ideally situated for studying migration- when there were no customers! I had previously seen many interesting species- parties of Arctic Skuas wheeling above the swimming pool before flying off inland and presumably right across Kent to the south coast some forty miles away; flocks of up to 90 Black Terns storm-driven into the estuary where they would feed in the estuary immediately outside the pool, and flocks of waders- in particular Whimbrel- heading off south, driven from the mud-flats by the rising tide. The swimming pool itself hosted many interesting species over the years including Moorhens in the footbaths and Grey Wagtails feeding around the edges in winter. Osprey and Serin were both seen flying over.”
John Holloway- ‘To Fair Isle and back’
Again, a stretch of the estuary seawall only infrequently visited by birders, but can be quite productive in autumn and winter, especially the further east you explore.
Details:
Map reference: TQ783692 (car park)
what3words: trash.spider.member
Distance: 5.2 km walk (2.6 km linear path).
Time: Allow two hours.
Open: access at all times.
Nearest train station: Gillingham, 1.5 km
Parking: Ample in the public car park (charge applies) at the start of the walk.
Toilets/restaurant facilities: Public toilets are in the Strand near the start of the walk. A small cafe, with restricted hours, is open during summer months.
The route:
(This walk is described as I would normally take it, but you may of course start from either end of the linear path.)
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| The slipway, Black-tailed Godwits, and Hoo Island |
You are by the narrowing end of the mudflats of Gillingham Marshes. The straight stretch of water ahead of you is Gillingham Reach, with Short Reach to the west, and beyond the end of Hoo Island to the east, the river curves away on the short Pinup Reach. From here you can also scan Middle Bank, the mudflat adjoining Hoo Island.
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| Hoo island from the slipway |
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| The wrecked barges, Gillingham Marshes |
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| Lapwing on the barges |
Just beyond the wrecks are the small islands of Gillingham marsh. Now submerged by spring tides, the islands can hold a handful of roosting waders on neaps, while the raised flats surrounding them, a reminder of their original size, will hold a fair number of birds, especially on the flow.
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| A Cormorant roost on Gillingham Marshes |
The path now cuts through the middle of the marina then in front of a mix of old cottages and new waterfront houses; as the Marsh finishes (D), there is an obvious Creek, Gillingham Creek, which marks the boundary between Gillingham Marshes and Cinque Port Marshes.
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| The islands of Gillingham Marshes |
These are viewed more easily once you can rejoin the seawall, as the footpath now cuts inland behind an industrial unit pleasantly surrounded by a mix of brownfield trees and scrub (E). The path drops away to some steps where it rejoins the now grassed seawall, but it is possible to first walk around the grass and scrub of Fairmile Wharf (F). This gives views back to Gillingham marshes roost and to Hoo island, and is one of the last spots to pick up vizsible migration before the urban sprawl. It is one of my favourite spots for watching gulls head to roost at dusk in winter- they pour downriver to usually end up at Bartlett Creek/Half Acre. After the wharf, rejoin the seawall.
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| Cinque Port Marshes- a Stormy Petrel (the boat) |
Cinque Port Marshes (G) can be exceptionally busy, not only in winter, but also autumn, with large numbers of staging wildfowl, especially Wigeon and Brent Goose in the early part of the season.
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| Cinque Port Marshes |
This walk finishes at the boundary of Riverside Country Park. Retracing your steps is simple enough. For the first part of the return you are alongside Grange Marsh (H), which holds the small Steadman's reed bed that has, in past years, turned up Bearded Tit and Water Rail.(Do drop down off the seawall to walk alongside the reedbed as, at one point, a raised pipe keeps a clear run through the bed, where birds pop in and out of view.
Although much of the scrub here is adjacent to the busy A289, the area can act as a hold-up for passerine migrants.
Expect:
Winter: Brent Goose, Shelduck, Peregrine, Marsh Harrier, (Red-breasted Merganser), very large Gull movements to roost. Avocet regular.
Spring: Most of waders/wildfowl will leave by mid-March. Locally breeding waders in small numbers, passage Black-tailed Godwit, small nos. migrants in scrub, Brent Geese remain into May most years.
Summer: Large numbers of Gulls from the nearby colonies. First returning waders in nos. are Black-tailed Godwit. Staging waders most often found on Cinque Port Marshes.
Autumn: Passage wildfowl and waders, small numbers Common Tern, Little Egret, common migrant passerines in surrounding scrub. Fairmile wharf can be a good spot to pick up on visible migration.
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Walk Three:
Riverside Country Park (west)
Intro:
"Stunning walks through a variety of habitats alongside the Medway Estuary" says the Park's own leaflet, and I can't argue with that.
This is a busy Country Park, and I have to work hard to avoid large numbers of visitors. The further from the Visitor Centre, the better. Most visitors stay close to teh amenities there, or take the walk out along Horrid Hill. The mudflats are technically not part of the Country Park, but the seawall and large parts of the land between it and the B2004 are; a mix of scrub, open fields, hedgerow, and farmland mean a good deal more species on hand than elsewhere on this early part of the shoreline. It goes without saying, for the land birds, getting out before the crowds is a must.
Details:
Map reference: TQ806681
what3words: adjusted.snapper.fetching
Distance: A four kilometre circular walk.
Time: Allow at least two hours for birding, more if you have gauged the tide correctly.
Open: Whilst the park has standard opening hours, access at all times is via public footpaths.
Nearest train station: Rainham, 2.9 km to Visitor Centre
Parking:
(1) Visitor Centre car park (and overflow car park) (H). Signposted off the B2004. Official opening hours only- always check on arrival.
(2) Sharps Green car park (J). A small, official car park, NOT signposted off the B2004. Take the single width Sharps Green Lane north from B2004, found 225 metres west of main car park (marked in pink on map). Official opening hours only.
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| Sharps Green car park |
(3) Eastcourt Meadows car park (K). A tiny, official car park, NOT signposted off the B2004. Turn north 80 metres west of Eastcourt Lane. Open all hours but note bays are very tight. Access to the park is via the avenue of Poplars (marked
(4) Outside of normal park hours, on-road parking is available in Lower Featherby Road (L). Cross B2004 and enter park via Copperhouse Lane (blue path).
Toilets/restaurant facilities: A cafeteria and toilets are available in the Centre for restricted hours within Park's normal opening hours.
Park webpage: https://www.medway.gov.uk/directory_record/523/riverside_country_park_greenspace
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/riversidecountrypark
The route:
(This walk is described as I would normally take it but, you may of course start from any of the points described.)
Follow the well-made path along the seawall east.
You may notice the seaweed-covered causeway out to Nor Marsh, that separates Cinque Port Marshes from Copperhouse Marshes. Up until the 1953 floods when the walls were breached, Nor was farmed and this was the main way on and off. As with all of the mudflats, under no circumstances attempt to walk the Causeway. The Creeks are treacherous and there is only a very short time when you can cross them safely, even then in chest waders. The path is hidden under mud in places and it is extremely easy to get trapped. Besides which, you’ll scare the birds(!) Close to the seawall the construction of the causeway many years ago helped create a natural damned pool in the creek, fed by a small freshwater creek which attracts many duck and gulls at low tide.
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| The causeway |
Following the seawall path north you will soon pass close to what most locals simply call ‘Copperhouse’, a sizeable island that is the last remnant of the Copperhouse Marshes (B). Older locals still call this ‘Copperas’, an olde English name for a green mineral, ferrous sulphate, which was used as a dye and was worked in pans nearby. The wealth from copperas helps explain why this small part of Kent was, until 1949, 'legally' part of Sussex. On the earliest Ordnance Survey maps the area was known as the “Cinque Port of Hastings (Detached)” (and why we have the Cinque Port Marshes and the jolly nice pub 'The Hastings Arms' (where the late lamented 'North Kent Birders' met once a month in the late eighties). If anyone wants to counts any birds here for their Sussex list, feel free.
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| Copperhouse Marshes |
The path now continues alongside Eastcourt Meadows, which is described on the return part of the walk.
Looking out north-east from point (C) , the seawalls of the RSPB reserve of Nor Marsh dominate. Continuing erosion means little of the island inside the walls now stays above water on a high tide, but the seawalls do help make the flooded centre a haven for many wildfowl from adverse weather. The seawalls can attract waders to roost, but they prefer the more natural habitat of Friar's Saltings (the adjacent open marsh) and Bishops Saltings (partly hidden just north of Nor). The slightly raised mudflat in front of Nor, adjoining Copperhouse Marshes, is Ferol Peak (another reference to the mineral) which is an important gathering area towards the top of the covering tide. The area south and east, looking toward the Horrid Hill promontory is Sharps Green Bay. Excellent for number/variety on any rising winter tide, it can also hold a small wader roost on the wrecks when not disturbed, plus the Gulls here are great scavengers; and for several years a Mediterranean Gull has been a regular visitor to the car park in winter (locally scarce at this time of year).
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| The view east from Eastcourt Meadows: Nor to Bartlett to Horrid |
From the edge of the old dock (F) it is possible to scan much of the western basin, from Copperhouse around to Motney and further still to a distant Half Acre and Kethole Reach. On a rising tide, movements of waders to roost can be impressive, sometimes in low lines skimming the water beside you, sometimes straight overhead. On the water, this is one of the best spots to search out Red-breasted Merganser and Goldeneye. At low tide they favour the hidden South Yantlet Creek behind Nor, but drift out on the rising waters.
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| Viewing Nor from Horrid; part of the Black-headed Gull colony |
There are a few large posts on Nor which may be used by an Osprey or two on passage in autumn. Hunting birds often follow mullet on rising tides then rest up on Nor. Ebb hunting takes them out more to the centre/north of the estuary.
It is worth stopping off in the Visitor Centre (H), not just for the loo and a cuppa, but for a quick check on the sightings board kept by the reception desk, which carries the monthly highlights. You can also pick up official maps and leaflets for the park at reception, which carry a lot more detail on all aspects of the Park.
A request from the staff: if you do happen to find anything of interest, do pop in and let them know, not only for the board, but also so they know exactly where you saw the bird - it helps them direct any birders following up reports on social media, etc.
Continue through the Visitor Centre car park west past the main welcome sign to find a gateway to a footpath leading to the wildlife pond (I). This can provide good views of common species, as locals have taken to scattering bird seed here. At present the boardwalk itself is, sadly, out of commission. In winter Kingfisher is regular here, as can be Water Rail (when not too flooded). The pond is set in a natural depression and is surrounded by scrub; being sheltered from wind it can be a lure to migrants in the right conditions.
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| Sharps Green Pond |
Just south of the pond is a large open field which, although used heavily by dog walkers, has a good deal of surrounding hedgerow, scrub and even a small community orchard, so worth some consideration on 'busier' bird days.
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| The Community Orchard in 2013 |
Continue west through Sharps Green car park again, but now take the obvious path west into Eastcourt Meadows. The meadows were, from the 1950s to the 1970s, the main rubbish tip for Gillingham, but the area has been reprofiled and returned to nature, now a mix of open scrub, closed canopy scrub and maturing trees. There are several paths through the area, including a circular bridlepath, and this whole area is extremely popular with the public, especially dog walkers. Birding is best if you take one of the less walked narrower paths to find an open clearing- migrants will get 'pushed' through such spots during the early morning. I have sometimes found myself spending ten minutes, sometimes a couple of hours, 'bushwatching' small waves of warblers passing through.
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| Eastcourt Meadows |
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| The Flashes |
Expect:
Winter: Brent Goose, Shelduck, big numbers of Teal, Wigeon, smaller numbers of Pintail plus handfuls of Red-breasted Merganser and Goldeneye. The dabbling duck favour Copperhouse. Peregrine and Marsh Harrier are often around and about Nor. Merlin and Hen Harrier are now only outside possibilities.
Closest views of waders are by Copperhouse (Greenshank regular in ones/twos to the end of winter). Excellent views of flighting waders from Horrid as they move to and from their roosts. Copperhouse/Ferol/Sharps Green have some of the last safe feeding areas to go under on the rise, and can become inundated with birds from Rainham Creek/Saltings. Look for the Turnstone roost on the old wrecked barges in Sharps Green Bay. Kingfisher is regular at the pond. Rock Pipit along the seawall, especially around the old dock at Horrid Hill.
Spring: Small falls of passage migrants are possible within the park boundaries, but are becoming the exception rather than the norm. The variety of habitat does mean the Country Park will often notch up personal 'firsts of the year' for common summer visitors.
Departing wildfowl and waders not easy to detect, as this happens either at first light or on the rise and usually from mid-channel gatherings on flats out beyond Nor. Transient migrant flocks often can and do put down, keeping tighter together. Numbers of passage Black-tailed Godwit continue to grow year-on-year. As is the norm, the Whimbrel is found more on spring passage than autumn, and often passing overhead; feeding birds are usually most often found along rocks of the Causeway. A few Common Tern can be seen, more often when following small shoals into flooding creeks.
Summer: Large numbers of Gulls can be viewed in the nearby colonies. The Nor colony is closest to Horrid. The Copperhouse colony deserted in 2015 and may be no more.
A handful of Brent might still be about for the whole of the summer, but can be elusive, making for a fun challenge to record them in each month of the year (38 months out of 38 to date for myself).
At first, wader numbers will be very low, being restricted to the few breeding pairs of Redshank and Oystercatcher than can find an area of saltings not prone to flooding. These will be supplemented by similar numbers of immature birds that have not had the urge to return to their natal breeding areas yet; any small numbers of Grey Plover or Curlew you might now encounter are definite non-breeders. The first returning waders in any nos. are Black-tailed Godwit from late June. Flocks of other returning adult waders do tend to 'fill' the remoter eastern parts of the estuary first, but those which do reach the Park may well stop for several weeks to complete a part of their annual moult and have favourite communal loafing areas during this time; on this walk high numbers of adult Redshank can be found around Copperhouse and such gatherings are always worth sorting through for 'fellow travellers'. One interesting aspect of late is, being 'inland', the estuary is by-passed by some waders which migrate nearer the coast. Until the true overwinterers arrive, some species are conspicuous by their absence (Dunlin being the most notable).
Behind the seawall many local young are on the wing but the earliest detectable movement of dispersal/departure will happen in late July with the first arrivals of Willow Warblers.
Autumn: Passage wildfowl: staging birds often loaf around Copperhouse. Stopovers of Brent can be short but impressive as the first returners use the Medway as a staging post on their journeys south.
Passage wader numbers continue to build, with overwintering flocks building quickly from October. Spotted Redshank and Greenshank can often found on rising tide at Copperhouse. Small numbers of Sandpipers and Stint can be found, but are nowhere near as frequent as at sites with safe freshwater for roosting/feeding. Flocks of departing Common Tern can be encountered from early August, often moving upriver to travel south overland.
Numbers of Little Egret peak, with evening flights to roosts on the northern shore totaling in the hundreds. If an Osprey is seen this far up the estuary, it usually out around Nor. Close views are not guaranted. Common migrant passerines may be plentiful in Eastcourt on good days, usually in first hour only before they disperse as the numbers of general public increase. In late autumn diurnal migration is always more pronounced overland, except for the hirundine which can move overwater westwards in impressive numbers in the right conditions. Wheatear is an outside bet for Horrid Hill, Turtle Dove a better bet for Eastcourt Meadows in early autumn.
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Walk Four:
Riverside Country Park (east)
Intro:
Good old Trip Advisor:
“dog walking place by the river...”
“park is well managed to allow nature to take its course but not necessarily have all its own way...”
“not exactly the scenic walk I had in mind...”
“great place to walk the dogs...”
“cafe is small and doesn’t take cards...”
“excellent for dog walking...”
“blackberry picking... ideal... a very helpful man in the visitors centre showed us the best spots to go...”
“perfect place to walk your dog...”
“can smell a bit sometimes when the tide is out...”
“useful cafe also, although this sometimes closes while there are still plenty of people around...”
“had to give up when we realised the dog owners were letting their dogs foul the footpath...”
“jacket potato I had last time I was here was a bit lukewarm...”
“My only issue is the smell by the water can be rather strong and can catch you off guard to leave you breathless...”
“okay for dog walking but there are definitely better places in Medway to walk dogs...”
“Went down to the country park with my girlfriend to take in the fresh air and wildlife, then a rabbit bit my foot and ruined my entire afternoon...”
“nice riverside walk too...”
Oh, the humanity.
Details:
Map reference: TQ806681
what3words: adjusted.snapper.fetching
Distance: A five kilometre circular walk.
Time: Allow at least two and a half hours for birding, more if you have gauged the tide correctly. The additional walk around Berengrave will add another hour to ninety minutes.
Open: Whilst the park has standard opening hours, access at all times is via public footpaths.
Nearest train station: Rainham, 2.9 km to Visitor Centre (1.8 km to Motney Hill Road entrance)
Parking:
(1) Visitor Centre car park (and overflow car park) (A). Signposted off the B2004. Official opening hours only- always check on arrival.
(2) Bloors Wharf car park (M). A small, official car park one kilometre from the Visitor Centre car park, NOT signposted off the B2004. Heading east from the main car park, just after the ‘Three Mariners pub, is a short row of houses with an unmarked left-hand turning to the north just before a telephone box (on some maps, ‘Bloors Wharf Road’). Park sensibly close to the park gates. The Wharf is just 120 metres beyond the gate.
(3) Motney car park (N). A small, official car park, NOT signposted off the B2004, 1.8 kilometres from the Visitor Centre car park. Continuing east from Bloors Wharf Road, you enter a traffic calming area and at a large box junction turn north into West Motney Way. The car park is on your left after 250 metres. Open all hours but note can only hold a dozen or so cars, and very popular with dog walkers; you may have to turn around and park sensibly in West Motney Way. The sea wall is just beyond the northern exit, the southern exit leads into the park fields.
Toilets/restaurant facilities: A cafeteria and toilets are available in the Centre for restricted hours within Park's normal opening hours.
Park webpage: https://www.medway.gov.uk/directory_record/523/riverside_country_park_greenspace
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/riversidecountrypark
The route:
(This walk is described as I would normally take it, but you may of course start from any of the points described.)
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| Rainham saltings |
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| Rainham Saltings from Bloors Wharf (and following pictures) |
Continuing east, Bloors Wharf lays directly ahead of you (E). Please note, this is a popular area and the earlier you go, the less disturbance you are likely to encounter. The Wharf overlooks a large area of mudflats bisected by Rainham Creek. For count purposes the flats to the west are Rainham Saltings to the east Rainham Creek Saltings (or, to some, Motney Bay). As the tide rises to the 3.0 metre mark, many waders that had been feeding north of Motney Hill and mid-channel on Bartlett and Bishop move to Rainham Creek, the majority then slowly funneling towards the channel west into the saltings or east towards Rainham Docks.
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| Mariners Creek (lime green), Rainham Creek (pale green), Bloors Creek (blue), Rainham Saltings channel (pale blue) |
The whole complex can be good for photography during the winter, especially late winter when the birds are less wary of people. The handrails have, unfortunately, been designed for safety rather than scope viewing, so you sometimes find you need to be willing to contort yourself a little. Careful fieldcraft when setting up is a must- the birds can be easily spooked. The north-western corner is particularly good, overlooking is a deep 'hole' which holds somewhat fresher water; if undisturbed, the views of the wildfowl can be excellent.
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| Loafing Teal from Bloors |
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| Bloors Creek weaving out to Rainham Creek; . |
Continue around the wharf aiming to leave via the south-east corner (F), checking the temporary pools on the wharf en route which can be good for bathing Rock Pipit in winter. (They favour offshore islands and saltings, but will come to drink/bathe over high tide).You now rejoin the main seawall footpath. Any of the benches between here and Motney can be good for a stop and scan. Birds sometimes try to pre-roost around the edge of the old Rainham Dock but are often disturbed by Park visitors. The freshwater here is a major pull, meaning another good spot for Greenshank and Spotted Redshank. Turn north through and head through the bushes until you reach the clear run of seawall north on Motney Hill Road (G).
You are now approaching the end of the Country Park. This is marked on the seawall by a nondescript wooden post. East of the road the Park land finishes along the line of the obvious dyke to your right, by the speed limit sign, in the southern part of a large reedbed. Some local birders prefer to count all of the reedbed, and much more of Motney Hill, as being within the Country Park. They are not, and there are several other landowners involved. The complexities of Motney Hill iwill be explained n the next walk, but would simply make a plea that the correct site names are used in any data recording.
There is no access to the Country Park section of the reedbed, and the road between it and the seawall can be busy with commercial vehicles heading for the waterworks; care is needed. Turn back on yourself and head south into the Motney car park. You have come some 2.2 kilometres from the Visitor Centre. At this point you may or may not feel like exploring the ‘inland’ sections of the Park- they are good but I will describe these areas, Rainham Docks East and Berengrave LNR later, as a separate 'inland' walk.
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| Motney Field |
For the return you can either retrace your path along the seawall or cut just behind it for a kilometre or so to check the scrubby hedgerows of Motney Field and Bloors Field (I). Both are extremely popular with dog walkers, so an early visit is advisable to pick up migrants. The fields are left uncut until early September, when they treated as any municipal park and cut right to the field edges. At least Bloors Field now has cover crop strips, primarily for Turtle Dove. The two ponds in Bloors Field (J), newt habitat, are often disturbed by dogs. It is a red-letter day when something like a Green Sandpiper turns up here (fingers crossed 2021's new signage will reduce disturbance here)..
Exit Bloors Field in the north-west corner to rejoin the seawall by the western end of Bloors Wharf. You now retrace the path to the Visitor Centre.
Expect:
Winter: Brent Goose, Shelduck, good numbers (often close) of Teal, Wigeon, Pintail, smaller numbers of Shoveler plus handfuls of Red-breasted Merganser and Goldeneye (often more distant). Peregrine and Marsh Harrier are sometimes seen.
The mudflats of Rainham Creek/Saltings have the biggest numbers of viewable waders within the park. Careful scanning through the flocks can often turn up a handful of Spotted Redshank, one or two Greenshank or the odd Little Stint. Try to check the fresher waters where the creeks feed out from the seawall. Large numbers of gulls can gather at the end of the day (unfortunately, large numbers of larger gulls settle mid-channel).
The scrub surrounding the reedbed can hold winter roosts but are hit and miss; recent clearance of many old local orchards meant that the winter thrushes were missing in 2015-16.
Spring: Small falls of passage migrants are possible within this part of the park, but the linear nature and volume of recreational disturbance here mean birds often move out soon after arrival.
Transient migrant wader flocks are recorded, Whimbrel being particularly obvious. The Black-tailed Godwits can be photogenic in the early part of spring.
Summer: For offshore/mudflats, wader patterns are similar to RCP west (above). Bloors Wharf provides best views. The reedbed and hedgerows have small numbers of breeding warblers. The wreck alongside Rainham Creek has nesting Lesser Black-backed Gulls on view.
Autumn: From July small numbers of waders start to gather off Bloors on the rising tide, wildfowl start in ones and twos from late August. There is a dearth of fresh-water for Sandpipers, but some will mix in on the flats, it is just a case of working through numbers present. Thankfully, passage Dunlin numbers are light, so not as many birds to work through as you might imagine.
Passage migrants are usually in smaller numbers than RCP (west), and early visits are needed. The areas around the newt ponds and the hedgerows around the horse paddocks just west of Bloors can be good for a stop and scan.
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Walk Five:
Motney Hill
Motney is the first stretch of the seawall where public/private ownership muddies the waters. Chatting with one of the Motney regulars of decades past, memories of finding good birds in the sewage works are now just that- memories. For other areas on Motney, a sort of open access exists, but this does have knock-ons for the birds.
In the past some birding books and magazines have treated these areas as having public rights of way. With the coming coastal path, some may well do so within a few years.
But for this walk I will try to highlight the 'accessible'. Any visitor will see routine trespass so I will give a nod to those areas but explain what disturbance might well be caused. And for several other areas, they will have to remain 'out of bounds'. There are only one or two local birders who have access to some of these areas for surveys such as WeBS, etc; please do not do anything that might jeopardise their work.
Details:
Map reference: The 'hill' is found at the end of the peninsula at TQ828684 what3words: lavished.thing.uniform~
Distance: A 2.5 km 'circular' walk (with options for 'spurs' to view additional areas)Time: Allow between one & a half to two hours for birding the circular walk, three or more hours if including any other areas.
Open: access at all times.
Parking: Limited in the small Motney Hill car park (open 24 hours). (TQ821675 / sinkhole.competent.slippers)
Some on-road parking can be found just south of the car park, but parking further north of the car park on the narrow, and busy approach road to the sewage works is not advised.
Toilets/restaurant facilities: None on the walk.
The route:
(This walk is described as I would normally take it, which is by bike/foot.)
From the Motney Hill car park (TQ821675 sinkhole.competent.slippers) (A) walk north on the seawall (as described in walk four) through Rainham Docks to the Country Park boundary (B). To the west, the mudflats are of reasonable height and birds will feed on them up to about the 3.5 metre mark, but do not usually come too close to the wall, moving instead to Rainham Docks or, more usually, out to the Motney RSPB reserve or to nearby islands. Looking east the large reed bed and wet pasture is strictly private, managed as a reserve by Wild Spaces Fund, a charity set up the Kent Wildfowlers' Association.
The route:
(This walk is described as I would normally take it, which is by bike/foot.)
From the Motney Hill car park (TQ821675 sinkhole.competent.slippers) (A) walk north on the seawall (as described in walk four) through Rainham Docks to the Country Park boundary (B). To the west, the mudflats are of reasonable height and birds will feed on them up to about the 3.5 metre mark, but do not usually come too close to the wall, moving instead to Rainham Docks or, more usually, out to the Motney RSPB reserve or to nearby islands. Looking east the large reed bed and wet pasture is strictly private, managed as a reserve by Wild Spaces Fund, a charity set up the Kent Wildfowlers' Association.
The road, once below the seawall now starts to rise towards the Hill and away from the shoreline (C)- he only 'official' path now follows this north. At the start of the houses (D), it is possible (just) to scan east over Otterham Creek to parts of the private Horsham marsh in the distance.
Continue up to the gates of the sewage works where the path turns east through bramble scrub and a small copse to cross a small dyke up onto the seawall (E). None of the area here is fenced, but is very overgrown and locals refrain from wandering far from the path/seawall. There are plenty of spots along the seawall from which to scan (the telegraph wires can be highly productive).
Looking east over Otterham Creek the seawall directly opposite has no public access for much of its length, which allows the birds some respite to continue to feed and roost. The bay opposite is one of the favoured spots for Spotted Redshank in the autumn.
After some 400 metres, look for a small footbridge over a dyke (F), by a wildfowlers' notice. This is an unofficial permissive path over a part of the wildfowlers' unfenced land back up to the Motney Hill road. Deliberately arranged to keep a circular walk open when the reed bed was fenced off, parts of this path do cross land belonging to two other landowners, but the way is well established and you will not find yourself challenged. There are good views south over the reed bed and flight pond, and the mixed scrub can produce good migrants.
Once back on the road you simply retrace your steps to the car park.
A western spur
The western side of Motney is private, but access of sorts has carried on for the 30 odd years I have known the area. The obvious walk starts at (C). The field on the west of the hill is private. It has changed ownership several times in the past few years and nearly all arrangements for individual access have been terminated; the present owner has made clear he does not expect tresspass so if you see people in the field, do not think it gives you any reason to copy. It is not being farmed at present, and is becoming rapidly overgrown.
Similarly there is no official public access along the shoreline (where ownership is held by two separate companies) north to the saltings, although many locals ignore this (meaning limited roosting/feeding here for the birds). At low tide, it is one of the most visited sections on the south Medway by bait diggers, travelling from quite some distance when other areas are becoming less productive. Biggest numbers are Thursdays/Fridays before competition weekends. Other than this you will see, in the main, one or two dog walkers following the beach each hour. Weekends expect the most disturbance, picnickers, local students' beach parties, barbecuers, fishermen. If you are tempted to copy them, please try show some respect for any wildfowl and waders in the area and be clear well before the 3.0 metre rising tide mark. Undisturbed, there can be good feeding close in, with the beach often attracting parties of Wigeon and Brent to feed on the algae. Beyond the beach, the saltings to the north are the RSPB reserve leased from Medway Council (G).
As private land with no access from any adjacent public areas the reserve is not signed. It too suffers from regular trespass; bait diggers, birders, dog walkers, foragers, even naturists. There is now a clear worn path out north-west onto the saltings. If you decide to follow others out here, please do not be tempted to take this.
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| A crabbing 'gang' working the edge of the RSPB reserve |
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| A bait digger cutting out onto the RSPB reserve |
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| Commercial foragers working the field edge |
There is, to the east, a well-trodden path alongside the RSPB reserve through the northern end of the large field. An area of established scrub here is in yet another set of private hands and, contrary to guidance in any other publication, you will usually find yourself asked to refrain from crossing this area by the owners when present.
The path then hangs on to a narrow crumbling strip around the fence-line of the sewage works to a promontory by an old dock (H). When the RSPB first took over this had been promoted as a public viewpoint, but the access complications and roost disturbance have helped shut this down. However, it is still routinely visited by the wandering public.
If you feel the urge, stay off the paths that are now damaging the saltings and stick only to the fence-line. The viewpoint does have distant views west to the wader roost on the RSPB reserve, but you will be stopping birds from roosting close to the old dock (mainly, in season, the likes of Lapwing, Curlew, Redshank, Shelduck, Little Egret). It is an important Brent Goose feeding area, right up to their departure in late May. You will also inhibit waders from feeding close-by on the rising tide. Again, regardless of dog-walkers and the like, if you feel so entitled that you must make this walk out onto the RSPB reserve, do so well before the 2.5 metre mark on a rising tide to allow birds such as Black-tailed Godwit and Avocet the opportunity to feed right up to the mud being covered, and for the roosts to start to form.
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| The RSPB saltings on a spring tide |
In any event, during the rise and covering many of these birds actually move closer to Bloors Wharf to continue feeding for another hour before returning to roost. Any settling on Motney is subject to tidal conditions, and the saltings are often flooded out. Do not be tempted to watch at the time some published walks suggest as best, e.g., around the high tide mark, as you can now often find yourself cut off. The same applies for any attempt to walk the flats east and south around the water works. You will be cut off, and will put yourself in danger. The odd local crabber or digger risks it from time to time, but they are welcome to it(!)
As hinted, there must be a high possibility that these arrangements will be subject to a great deal of change in the near future with the coming of the Coast Path. Do expect this part of the walk guide to be overhauled at some point during the coming year.
An eastern spur
Thankfully this has no such access problems, being down the Saxon Shoreway footpath south along the western seawall of Otterham Creek. It is possible to take this path further inland and walk back to Motney car park along the B road, but this is relatively birdless; and it is much more rewarding to treat as a linear walk and retrace your steps.
There are excellent views over the eastern half of the reed bed. (The bed is divided by an obvious north/south 'hedgerow', which marks the raised ground of the main pipeline out to the sewage works- the whole of the eastern half is also owned by the Wild Spaces Fund).
Otterham creek is at this point quite narrow and the accreting mud flats are high, allowing a good half-hour's additional feeding on the rise when compared to the rest of the shoreline. However, the birds can be easily spooked here, by public and birders alike.
The walk is straightforward. Simply continue south on the seawall from the footbridge (F). In the depth of winter birds more often continue to feed up right up to the head of the creek, and even roost on the small saltings there on neap tides (I) if human disturbance is minimal.
The path cuts now inland, following the fence-line of a commercial site enclosing a fine stand of scrubland, and the first 200 metres or so (J) can be good for common migrants on passage, especially warblers (on reaching the works remember check for the local Little Owls which often sit out on the building framework).
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| Black-tailed Godwits gathering in Otterham |
Expect:
Winter: Large nos Brent, Shelduck. Red-breasted Merganser, Goldeneye in Bartlett Creek to the north of Motney. Birds of Prey use Motney as a commute (via Nor) over to the Hoo Peninsula. Short-eared Owl can hunt area for a few days before switching back further east. Rock Pipit is common. Several passerine roosts are in the area, including the local Grey Wagtail within the sewage works, and Meadow Pipit and Skylark in the large field.
Spring: Otterham Creek is one of favoured spots for Teal well into the spring. They and other duck tend to be in greatest number just to the north of sewage works boundary. Pochard and Tufted Duck often drop in to the Flight Pool from Horsham. Both partridge species can be found with luck, though the Greys are still being introduced locally.
Summer: Common reedbed breeders can be more often heard than seen. When the late summer hirundine dispersal commences, Hobby can sometimes be found hunting the area in evenings. the Otterham far shore and flats are good for several wader species, including Spotted Redshank, Greenshank and Common Sandpiper.
Autumn: Small nos. of common passage migrants, more esp. visible migrant spp. can be found. Overhead inland flights of waders and wildfowl are regular. Kingfisher and Grey Wagtail are regular around Otterham creek. the low scrub can be good for Whinchat and Stonechat.
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Page completed: April 2015
Latest amendments/alterations/additions: September 2021
Latest amendments/alterations/additions: September 2021
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