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The perfect place to explore a range of precious habitats

West Canvey Marsh

Season
  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Autumn
  • Winter

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Top things to do in Spring

  1. Lose yourself in the sweeping wilderness of West Canvey Marsh
  2. Watch out for the wild tumbling displays of male lapwings, as they plummet and swoop to impress the ladies!
  3. Budding archaeologists can look out for medieval field drains, walk an ancient farm track and visit the ruins of Pantile Farm

Top things to do in Summer

  1. Relax and enjoy the delicately-marked marbled white butterflies
  2. Enjoy a family picnic, while the children let off steam in the play area
  3. Look for dragonflies and damselflies, which thrive in the wet areas

Top things to do in Autumn

  1. Let the children explore the adventure play area
  2. Stroll through a varied landscape of grasslands, pools, reedbeds, saltmarsh and tidal creeks
  3. Watch swallows and martins catching insects over the grassland, as they prepare for their long migration - some flying as far as South Africa!

Top things to do in Winter

  1. Explore the three wildlife viewing points
  2. Sit still long enough and you may well see a peregrine. These speed machines hunt across the marshes, gain height, fold back their wings and plummet at their prey... spectacular!
  3. The tidal creeks are bustling with birds – look out for oystercatchers, knots, dunlins, godwits and sandpipers

Your photos

  • Warbler
  • Whitethroat
  • Great tit
  • Willow Warbler
  • Blackcap
  • Canada Geese
  • Marsh Harrier on the Scrape
  • Mandarin ducks

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Extend your stay

Other places to visit

Male bearded tit hiding in reedbed

South Essex Marshes

Gateway to the largest wetland in Essex, on the doorstep of the Thames

Trio of dark-bellied brent geese in flight

Stour Estuary

Where the woods meet the sea

Aerial view of RSPB Fairburn Ings nature reserve

Fairburn Ings

Explore your wild side - a great place to visit year-round

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