Bird's
eye views  |
The Swale Estuary is a 13 mile channel that separates
the Isle of Sheppey from the mainland of Kent. The
estuary lies between two other great estuaries - the Medway and the Thames, and
it's a birders' paradise. | | Winter
wonderland for birds |
In common with most estuaries,
this is an environment of continual change with a complex eco-system.
The
mix of fresh water and sea water together with tidal movement make this a great
place for wildlife watching. Bird's eye view
 Oare
Marshes nature reserve on the south bank of the Swale Estuary is one of the best
places to get close to some stunning bird life in the winter.
The reserve
is of international importance for migratory, overwintering and breeding wetland
birds.
Run by Kent Wildlife Trust, the sheltered grazing marshes with
freshwater dykes, and mud flats provide a great habitat.
Winter is a good
time to look for birds such as Snipes, Redshanks, Curlews and Bitterns.
One
of the best things about Oare Marshes is that visitors can get a superb bird's
eye view of the wildlife - you don't even need binoculars. Watching
waders  During
the day when the tide is lower, waders such as Lapwings can be seen feeding on
the mud flats of the estuary.
Watch how they wobble their legs in the mud
to disturb invertebrates.
During high tide, the lapwings move to the grass
on the edge of these areas to roost and preen themselves. Another bird to
look out form is the Teal. They are easily spotted upending in the water, looking
for food. Teals have an appetite for seeds, roots and shoots as well as
some aquatic insects. Even in January you can sometimes see some of these
birds thinking of pairing up. Watch carefully and you'll see the drakes
sticking their heads up and out, rustling their tail feathers, and showing off
their rump patch. Isle of Sheppey  Over
there on the other side of the estuary is the Isle of Sheppey.
This provides
a very different habitat - it's much more of a wilderness area. As a result
it's is one of the best places to see a large variety of birds of prey in winter. Although
it's harder to get close to the birds on Sheppey, the island's mixture of arable
farmland, grazing land and reed beds makes it a mecca for birds of prey. Amongst
the birds to look out for are Marsh Harriers, Hen Harriers, Short Eared Owls,
Merlins, Kestrels and Peregrines. A good place to see them is Capel Fleet
viewing point owned by the RSPB. Look out for March Harriers flying low
and slowly over the reeds looking for prey. This enigmatic bird is recovering
from near extinction due to the draining of their wetland homes. Their
numbers dropped to just one pair in 1971, but the population is now rising again
with about 200 nationwide. Some of the Marsh Harriers breed at Sheppey,
but are also joined by harriers form Scandinavia and eastern Europe. Also
look out for Peregrines which like to take advantage of the wintering wildfowl
and waders. Small mammals and predators  The
grass in the fields around the RSPB reserve is kept long because this provides
small mammals such as Field Voles with cover as they move about.
The Field
Voles are a popular source of food for birds of prey such as Short Eared Owls,
Kestrels and Harriers. Birds of prey have claws which are different from
other birds - they are designed to pluck and pull prey to pieces. The inside
front claws are used as a fork, with the beak acting as a knife. There
is a notch on their beaks to break through bones, and they usually carry food
in their feet. Owls catch prey in their feet and carry it in mouth - they
have big throats so they can swallow prey whole. | 
