Cliffe Pools (1 Viewer)

From the RSPB Website:- www.rspb.org.uk

Cliffe Pools
The 230 hectares of Cliffe Pools is a mix of saline lagoons, freshwater pools, grassland, saltmarsh and scrub. These habitats have developed on old clay diggings and river dredgings. The RSPB will be working in partnership with Westminster Dredging plc to create a Flagship nature reserve and the focus for visitors to the RSPB's North West Kent reserves.

A wide variety of birds can be found at the reserve including 60 pairs of avocets. Great crested grebes, shelducks, lapwings and little egrets are all resident. During the autumn wading birds pass through on migration. Some remain in the winter and are joined by pintails, shovelers, teals and other ducks. In spring and summer look out for hobbies and nightingales.

Cliffe Pools are also home to a range of other wildlife including water vole and harvest mouse plus notable insects such as the scarce emerald damselfly, shrill carder bee, green hairstreak butterfly, and the recently re-discovered Maid of Kent rove beetle. Plant species include nationally notable species such as sea barley and annual beard grass.

Cliffe Pools is a developing reserve and in time full visitor facilities will be provided at the southern end of the site off Salt Lane.

Opening times
Please note that Cliffe is a developing reserve with much work still in progress. We would recommend avoiding the southern end of the site at Salt Lane, particularly at weekends. This area is still frequented by motorbikers, fly-tippers and others who can be hostile towards birdwatchers. Please also be aware of potentially hazardous fly-tippings and that deep water is also present on the site.
The place to see...
over 155,000 wading birds and wildfowl arriving from their arctic breeding grounds in the autumn. (This refers to the Thames Estuary as a whole).

Facilities at Cliffe Pools
Nature trails
3 (shortest 0.3 miles/0.5 km, longest 2.5 miles/4 km; public footpath to marshes (4 miles/6.4 km round trip).

How to get here
Temporary directions to Cliffe Pools. Take the A289 off the A2 near Strood. From the A289 follow the B2000 into the village of Cliffe. From Cliffe village follow the B2000 to a sharp right hand bend at the northern edge of the village. Continue down Pond Hill and Pickles Way, a rough but drivable track, which meets the reserve. A number of rights of way run through the site (see OS Explorer 163) Parking is currently available next to the church/6 Bells Pub within the village of Cliffe or discreetly along Pickles Way.
By bus
Stop at the Six Bells pub in Cliffe.
By train
Higham (3 miles/5 km), Strood (5 miles/8 km).

james

Thanks James,
I will get around to adding some images when I get a spare 5mins.
Salt Lane end is now fenced and gated so this has just about stopped motocrossers tearing about the area. The side roads here has been cleaned up some but are still in need of major renevation work. Large concrete blocks are being added to stop vehicle access to the footpaths.
One a point of note while chatting to the chap working/cleaning the site with his digger (at the end of the Blackbarn track) we saw a transit tipper turn up with loads of old engines, gearboxes etc. in the back, very obvious that this pykey was looking to tip. On approaching the vehicle he told me he was looking for a cottage here and then turned round and drove off. I took the number and reported this to the enviroment agency who will log all calls. If you see anything similar please call the enviroment agency with vehicle details and registration.
Current score is in excess of 200 recovered burnt out cars removed and god knows how many tyres,engines and other bits of garbage has been taken off the site.

Dave

Hi Dave,

It'll be great when the RSPB finish their major improvements to Cliffe - you'll be able to concentrate on your birdwatching instead of having to act as unofficial warden for a start! Thanks again for showing us around 'your patch'. Will write it up soon.

Cheers

james