Joyce's Head, Old Hall Farm (formerly the Ship Ahoy Public House), Old Hall landing Stage
Old Hall Marshes
RSPB Nature Reserve
The reserve was acquired in 1984 for £780,000, at that time our most expensive land purchase. There are seven main habitats:
70 ha improved grassland (managed for Brent geese)
29 ha unimproved grassland (the largest block left in Essex)
20 ha reedbed (one of the two largest in Essex)
26 ha open water (good for wildfowl with passage waders at the edges)
4 ha coastal lagoon (managed for breeding avocets and passage waders)
44 ha saltings
(1ha = 1 hect are = 2.471 acres)
We also lease the shooting rights over the mudflats surrounded the site. This allows us to police an effective wildfowl sanctuary area.
The reserve is part of the Blackwater Estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest and and the Blackwater Estuary National Nature Reserve. In 1992 it was designated as a Special Protection area under the
EC Birds Directive and as an internationally important wetland under the Ramsar Convention.
Bird Population
Old Hall Marshes is outstanding for its internationally important numbers of wintering dark-bellied Brent geese.
The average peak of 4,522 birds is over two per cent of the world population.
The reserve supports nationally important wintering or passage populations of 11 other species.
60 bird species breed on the reserve. Garganey, gadwall, shoveler, pochard, avocet and bearded tit are all of national importance. The numbers and productivity of the key breeding spaces have increased dramatically since effective water control measures were established in 1993.
Other Wildlife
257 plant species have been recorded, 22 of which are nationally scarce.
9 nationally rare and 55 scarce invertebrate species have been found so far, including the ground lacey moth and the scarce emerald damselfly.
The 24 recorded species of mammal include thriving populations of hare and water vole, which are declining nationally. Three species of fish and four of reptile/amphibian have also been noted.
Management
The reserve is run as a farm as well as a nature reserve. The main aim is to continue a 400 year tradition of grazing the marsh. A flock of 350 breeding ewes are resident, augmented by 150 suckler cattle in the summer. The livestock are used to produce a different sward lengths. The improved fields are grazed tight for wintering Brent geese. The unimproved fields are varied for breeding and wintering wildfowl, and birds of prey.
Effective water management is critical. We try to maintain constant levels in winter and summer. Any extra water is used to create circulation and flush the static water systems.
Recent work at the Pennyhole Bottom coastal lagoon has attracted a nesting colony of avocets, and improved its use by roosting and feeding waterfowl.
Sea-level rise threatens the entire reserve. We are protected by 10 km. of sea wall (maintained by the Environmental Agency). The RSPB have divided the reserves with extra walls of to contain any flooding during exceptional storms.
The reserve was acquired in 1984 for £780,000, at that time our most expensive land purchase. There are seven main habitats:
70 ha improved grassland (managed for Brent geese)
29 ha unimproved grassland (the largest block left in Essex)
20 ha reedbed (one of the two largest in Essex)
26 ha open water (good for wildfowl with passage waders at the edges)
4 ha coastal lagoon (managed for breeding avocets and passage waders)
44 ha saltings
(1ha = 1 hect are = 2.471 acres)
We also lease the shooting rights over the mudflats surrounded the site. This allows us to police an effective wildfowl sanctuary area.
The reserve is part of the Blackwater Estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest and and the Blackwater Estuary National Nature Reserve. In 1992 it was designated as a Special Protection area under the
EC Birds Directive and as an internationally important wetland under the Ramsar Convention.
Bird Population
Old Hall Marshes is outstanding for its internationally important numbers of wintering dark-bellied Brent geese.
The average peak of 4,522 birds is over two per cent of the world population.
The reserve supports nationally important wintering or passage populations of 11 other species.
60 bird species breed on the reserve. Garganey, gadwall, shoveler, pochard, avocet and bearded tit are all of national importance. The numbers and productivity of the key breeding spaces have increased dramatically since effective water control measures were established in 1993.
Other Wildlife
257 plant species have been recorded, 22 of which are nationally scarce.
9 nationally rare and 55 scarce invertebrate species have been found so far, including the ground lacey moth and the scarce emerald damselfly.
The 24 recorded species of mammal include thriving populations of hare and water vole, which are declining nationally. Three species of fish and four of reptile/amphibian have also been noted.
Management
The reserve is run as a farm as well as a nature reserve. The main aim is to continue a 400 year tradition of grazing the marsh. A flock of 350 breeding ewes are resident, augmented by 150 suckler cattle in the summer. The livestock are used to produce a different sward lengths. The improved fields are grazed tight for wintering Brent geese. The unimproved fields are varied for breeding and wintering wildfowl, and birds of prey.
Effective water management is critical. We try to maintain constant levels in winter and summer. Any extra water is used to create circulation and flush the static water systems.
Recent work at the Pennyhole Bottom coastal lagoon has attracted a nesting colony of avocets, and improved its use by roosting and feeding waterfowl.
Sea-level rise threatens the entire reserve. We are protected by 10 km. of sea wall (maintained by the Environmental Agency). The RSPB have divided the reserves with extra walls of to contain any flooding during exceptional storms.