Sandwich and Pegwell Bay NNR

Following in a similar vein to my previous post, I thought this time I would have a look, albeit far more briefly than it deserves, at the wonderful National Nature Reserve at Sandwich and Pegwell Bay.

The lovely view out from the Sandwich and Pegwell Bay reserve

Managed by the Kent Wildlife Trust, this coastal reserve is Internationally important for its bird species, particularly wildfowl and waders such as dunlin (Calidris alpina), curlew (Numenius arquata) and oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus). It covers a variety of local habitat types including mudflats, saltmarsh, sand dunes and coastal scrubland and has a range of difficulty paths to suit anyone visiting.

Insect getting covered in pollen

Flies getting their fill of nectar in a lovely purple wildflower

A lovely rustic glass vase of these stunning red edged flowers
 was placed with others beside a lain wooden log

White flower of the lesser bindweed

As you walk around the reserve, there is some beautiful flora to be seen, particularly in the summer with wildflowers thriving throughout, although some of the more resilient flowers such as those of the lesser bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) still make an impressive appearance in the autumn.

Common red darter newly perched on a leaf

Common red darter perched on a dead stem

View out across the marshes on a
more cloudy day

Bunches of elderberries thriving on the reserve

The surprisingly consistent good weather this summer has also bolstered the local insect life, with flitting dragonflies such as the common red darter (Sympetrum striolatum) and summer butterfly species, which accompany the marsh and field habitat, being a welcome regular sight. Wild growing fruit can also be seen on the reserve keeping the wild bird species well fed, with apple trees (Malus domestica) and elderberry bushes (Sambucus) scattered around. 

Highland cow grazing whilst a curlew
 forages nearby

Highland cow basking in the summer sun

Exmoor pony shaking off dust in the summer sun

Herd of exmoor ponies grazing

The reserve is also home to herds of lovely shaggy highland cattle, Exmoor ponies and Polish Konik primitive horses grazing in certain areas. On one of my sunnier summer visits to the reserve in fact I was even lucky enough to spend time watching a group of highland cattle resting in the shade whilst two adventurous magpies (Pica pica) hopped around and even on top of them to peck at insects abundant in the cow's fur.

Magpie picking flies from the face of
a Highland cow

Magpie standing proud beside an inquisitive Highland cow

Magpie after hopping onto the head
of a relaxed Highland cow

All in all, this reserve offers a wonderful nature trip out for anyone in the area, with picnic seating areas and a play park for the little'uns. For those interested in more marine species as well, the harbour in nearby Ramsgate runs a boat trip along the adjacent River Stour to search for marine mammals, particularly seals, with the boats often being seen drifting up and down the river from the reserve.

It really is brilliant being able to see such a wide variety of protected habitats in a visit to one site and, with hides and viewing areas dotted around, you are exposed to a good range of what more natural Kent has to offer and stand a good chance of seeing some fantastic wildlife.  

Wilderness view down one of the reserve's paths

View out the marshes with waders and
Ramsgate visible

Bunch of Hawthorn (Crataegus) berries

Another view out over the marshes towards Ramsgate

Well then, that's my brief account of what I've experienced so far and my thoughts on the Sandwich and Pegwell Bay National Nature Reserve. I hope to have done it some justice through my photographs, although to really see how beautiful it is you'll have to visit it yourselves! 

For those who are interested, my next post will be looking at another of the NNRs in Kent, the picturesque Stodmarsh Reserve in the Great Stour valley. See you then!