Bowers Marsh walk, February 2021 No. 8

Bowers Marsh walk, February 2021 No. 8

Two visits to the marsh during February the first was on my own in the afternoon for a change stopping off on the way home at the cemetery overlooking Bowers to get a couple of views across the marsh.




Parking up in the car park I quickly set off along the path toward the the fresh water lagoon, a nice bright clear day I head up to the Old Saltings to the sounds of geese and other waterfowl in the distance.



Reaching the lookout I scan the lagoon and see the usual array of geese, ducks, lapwings and black tailed godwits, taking a couple of photos looking across Dons marsh I head back, stopping half way down the track to capture a shell duck by the waters edge.





I continue on round to the far side of the lagoon seeing meadow pipits taking flight as I walk past and a few gulls flying overhead, reaching the wet grassland on my left looking over toward canvey lots of water laying on the fields.



Across the Fresh water lagoon many waterfowl can be seen on the islands and spit, no signs of small birds today probably a little too breezy.


I decide to go over to the Saline lagoon on the way I spot and get a shot of an Egret on the edge of the dyke, looking through my binoculars I see in the distance a marsh harrier which is flying low above the wetland marsh, too far away to get a photo.


Making my way up the bank I get some great views of the lagoon and wetland marsh, as I continue along the bank I spot a pair of avocets at the far end of the lagoon I slowly approach and manage a couple photos.








Heading back and from my raised viewpoint on the bank I can see how the wetland fields are flooded and over the fresh water lagoon toward Fobbing and Laindon in the distance.




Now off the bank I cross the picnic area to the path and cross the bridge by the sluice scanning the reeds as I make my way to the old saltings as the sun is disappearing in the light clouds.




After a while resting on the bench at the lookout I head back to the feeding station at the top of the track to see what there is around the trees and feeders. 












Just a few of the birds which were in the trees around the feeding station which I captured before moving on toward the car park.








As I approached the carpark ahead of me sitting in the gate way I spot a fox,  I slowly moved forward until I could get a decent photo he seemed more interested in other things rather than me creeping froward, eventually he looks straight at me and turns away and wanders off.





Map showing the layout and trails at Bowers Marsh

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