Wallasea Island RSPB

A landscape totally transformed!

The Wallasea Island Wild Coast Project is in the middle of transforming this island into a landscape of marshland, lagoons, ditches and sea. More than three million tonnes of earth were brought by boat from the tunnels and shafts created by the Cross Rail scheme in London. The reserve now covers more than 1,820 acres, with two thirds of the reserve now transformed from arable farmland to saltmarsh, mudflats, lagoons and grazing marsh. A visit to Essex has to take in this transformation, which is one of the largest in Europe and now the wildlife is really taking off. Last year saw a remarkable movement of Mediterranean Gulls come to the reserve and breed, with many pairs found along with the many Blackheadeds and Common Terns. It is years since I saw so many Corn Buntings, with them now being extinct as a breeding bird in Cumbria and Dumfries and Galloway. Summer sees many Yellow Wagtails with White Wagtails passing through in spring and a rare record of Citrine Wagtail in the autumn. The feral geese encourage wild geese like Brent; plus a Black Brant has been here, along with European Whitefronts, Lesser Whitefront (now very rare in the UK), Red-breasted, Taiga Bean and Pinkfeet. Both Whooper and Bewick’s Swans have been found, but winter is also great for the Hen Harriers joining the many Marsh Harriers, with Short-eared Owls often hunting along the rough grassland, too. Winter also sees Merlin and Peregrine, with Osprey and Hobby in summer. Both Lapland and Snow Bunting have been found along with Shore Lark. Waders popping in include Broad-billed, Curlew and Wood Sandpipers, Blackwinged Stilt, Greenshank and Spotted Redshank. All three egrets have been spotted along with Crane, Spoonbill and Black-crowned Night Heron.