Swanscombe Marsh
From Londonbirders
Swanscombe can be accessed via the Thames-side footpath running east from Greenhithe. There is usually parking to be had in the new Ingress Park development, or, failing that, in Greenhithe village. Greenhithe and Swanscombe stations are within walking distance and are on the line from Charing Cross via Dartford. The site has a long industrial history, mainly connected with the cement industry. The cement works have now gone, to be replaced with works associated with tunneling for the new Channel Tunnel Rail Link, which passes under the site. There was also a sewage treatment works that at one time was popular with local birders, but this is now disappearing into the undergrowth. There is a flat-topped mound that was once a landfill site. The site is dominated by a huge 670 foot electricity pylon, one of the tallest in the UK, which carries cables high over the Thames.
Swanscombe can be divided into three main areas. From west to east these are: Black Duck Marsh, Broadness, and Botany Marsh.
Black Duck Marsh (TQ598755) is close to Greenhithe beside the new Ingress Park housing development. It is an area mainly of reeds and grassland and used to be much wetter than it is now. The Thames foreshore here is a good area for Rock Pipit in winter (with counts reaching double figures) and it is not unusual for one or two Water Pipit to be present as well. There is a small wood at the southern end of the marsh, which contains a heronry. There is also a small lake at TQ603759 which usually has a few freshwater wildfowl. Like a lot of the site Black Duck Marsh is earmarked for future development.
Broadness (TQ605766)is one of the most reliable sites for Turnstone in the London area; small numbers can often be found between November and March near the light tower at the end of the point. There are small areas of saltmarsh around the point. There is a small collection of wooden houses and houseboats around the creek on the western side of the point; it is best to respect the residents' privacy at not approach too closely. Broadness is a good point to watch the Thames for passage gulls and terns. There is always the chance of something more unusual, such as a skua or even a petrel, especially in northerly winds in autumn. It pays to look behind you, as some birds choose to take a short cut inland of the point.
Botany Marsh (TQ610755) is south of Broadness and is an area of reed-lined ditches, marsh and grassland. It has a peaceful quality that is rare on the Kent side of the Thames in the LNHS area. This is a fine area to walk round early on a spring morning, when it is full of singing Reed Warblers. Again, with the new Ebbsfleet station not far away, this area is threatened with development.
Swanscombe Marsh is being squeezed by development on all sides but for the moment it has much to interest the visiting birder. It is worth a visit at any time of the year as its mix of habitats means that there is usually something to see.
PatchList 2006 Running Total
Map: [1]
This site is being watched by Dave Miller as part of the 2006 London Patch-List Challenge.
As of 18th November my total stands at 112 species, as follows:
| Species | Date first seen | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Little Grebe | 1st Jan | ~ |
| Great Crested Grebe | 1st Jan | 1 on Thames on 1st Jan |
| Cormorant | 1st Jan | ~ |
| Little Egret | 17 Apr | singles on 17/4, 21/5, 4/6, 16-17/9 |
| Grey Heron | 1st Jan | ~ |
| Mute Swan | 19th Feb | max 5+ on 19/2 |
| Greylag Goose | 2nd Jan | 5 over on 2/1, 2 over on 19/2, 2 over 6/5 |
| Canada Goose | 5th April | 2 in April |
| Brent Goose | 8th Jan | 9 circled over Thames on 8/1, then flew off west |
| Shelduck | 1st Jan | ~ |
| Gadwall | 1st Jan | ~ |
| Teal | 1st Jan | ~ |
| Mallard | 1st Jan | ~ |
| Shoveler | 1st Jan | present in ditches max 2 in Jan 3 in Mar |
| Pochard | 1st Jan | 1 drake on the lake in Jan |
| Tufted Duck | 2nd Jan | max 4 in Feb, 6 in May, 2 in Jun/Jul |
| Common Scoter | 6th July | 13 on the Thames at high tide in evening |
| Sparrowhawk | 17th Apr | and one on 30/4, 3/9 |
| Kestrel | 1st Jan | ~ |
| Peregrine | 1st Feb | ~ |
| Pheasant | 1st Jan | ~ |
| Water Rail | 18th Jul | ~ |
| Moorhen | 1st Jan | ~ |
| Coot | 1st Jan | ~ |
| Oystercatcher | 2nd Jan | max 1 in Jan, 3 in Mar, 3 in Apr, 2 in May, 1 in Jun, 3 in Jul |
| Little Ringed Plover | 30th Apr | 1 on 30/4-1/5 but not since |
| Ringed Plover | 1st Feb | max 3 in Feb, 11 in Mar, 6 in Jul, 1 in Aug |
| Grey Plover | 2nd Jan | 2 on 2/1 and 1 on 29/1 |
| Lapwing | 1st Jan | ~ |
| Dunlin | 1st Jan | max 80 on 2nd Jan |
| Jack Snipe | 26th Feb | max 1 in Feb, 2 in Mar |
| Snipe | 2nd Jan | max 4 on 2/1 |
| Black-tailed Godwit | 1st Jan | max 84 on foreshore on 8th Jan |
| Bar-tailed Godwit | 1st May | 1 on foreshore |
| Whimbrel | 30 Apr | 3 over 30/4, 1 22/7, 1 8/8 |
| Curlew | 1st Jan | max 2 in Jan, 3 in Feb, 4 in Mar, 1 in Aug |
| Redshank | 1st Jan | ~ |
| Green Sandpiper | 17th Sep | 2 over |
| Common Sandpiper | 13th May | max 1 in May, 11 in Jul, 4 in Aug |
| Turnstone | 2nd Jan | max 14 in Jan, 6 in Feb, 10 in Mar, 2 on 14/5, 1 on 3/11 |
| Arctic Skua | 16th Sep | At least 2 birds seen on 16/9: 2 up Thames heading west at 0807 then 1 over Thurrock at 0859 |
| Mediterranean Gull | 8th Jan | single ads on 8/1 and 19/2 |
| Little Gull | 3rd Nov | juv left foreshore roost at 0650 |
| Black-headed Gull | 1st Jan | ~ |
| Common Gull | 1st Jan | ~ |
| LBB Gull | 1st Jan | ~ |
| Herring Gull | 8th Jan | ~ |
| Yellow-legged Gull | 2nd Jan | max 2 in Jan, 3 in Feb, 2 in Mar, 1 in Apr, 1 in May, 8 in Jul, 5 in Aug |
| GBB Gull | 1st Jan | ~ |
| Sandwich Tern | 22nd July | on Thames: 5+ 22/7, 1 3/8, 8+ 3/9 |
| Common Tern | 1st May | ~ |
| Arctic Tern | 16th Sep | 1 juv west up Thames |
| Feral Pigeon | 22nd Jan | ~ |
| Stock Dove | 2nd Jan | max 10 on 26/2 |
| Woodpigeon | 1st Jan | ~ |
| Collared Dove | 1st Jan | ~ |
| Turtle Dove | 14th May | ~ |
| Ring-necked Parakeet | 17th Apr | 1 heard overhead |
| Cuckoo | 6th May | ~ |
| Swift | 6th May | ~ |
| Green Woodpecker | 1st Jan | ~ |
| Great Spotted Woodpecker | 12th Mar | ~ |
| Skylark | 8th Jan | ~ |
| Sand Martin | 1st May | ~ |
| Swallow | 15th Apr | ~ |
| House Martin | 30th Apr | ~ |
| Meadow Pipit | 1st Jan | max 20 in Jan, 25+ in Feb, 20 in Mar |
| Rock Pipit | 1st Jan | max 11+ on 12/2 |
| Water Pipit | 5th Feb | 1 on 5/2, 12/2, 26/2 |
| Yellow Wagtail | 16th Apr | 2 over, also 2 over on 16/9 |
| Grey Wagtail | 1st Jan | max 1 in Jan, 2 in Feb, 1 in Mar |
| Pied Wagtail | 1st Jan | ~ |
| Wren | 1st Jan | ~ |
| Dunnock | 1st Jan | ~ |
| Robin | 2nd Jan | ~ |
| Black Redstart | 17th Sep | 1 around river wall |
| Common Redstart | 8th April | 1 male by concrete pier |
| Whinchat | 3rd Sep | ~ |
| Stonechat | 1st Jan | max 3 in Jan, 2 in Feb, 2 in Mar, 3 in Apr |
| Wheatear | 8th April | spring: max 4 on 15-16/4, Autumn: 1 on 17/9 |
| Blackbird | 1st Jan | ~ |
| Fieldfare | 2nd Jan | max 15+ on 22/1 |
| Song Thrush | 1st Jan | ~ |
| Redwing | 22nd Jan | 1 on 22/1 |
| Mistle Thrush | 12th Feb | 2 in Feb, 1 in Mar |
| Cetti's Warbler | 8th Jan | ~ |
| Sedge Warbler | 6th May | ~ |
| Reed Warbler | 16th Apr | ~ |
| Lesser Whitethroat | 30th Apr | ~ |
| Whitethroat | 15th Apr | ~ |
| Garden Warbler | 7th May | ~ |
| Blackcap | 8th Apr | ~ |
| Chiffchaff | 26th Mar | ~ |
| Willow Warbler | 5th Apr | ~ |
| Bearded Tit | 16th Apr | male briefly on 16/4 but not since |
| Long-tailed Tit | 1st Jan | ~ |
| Blue Tit | 1st Jan | ~ |
| Great Tit | 15th Jan | ~ |
| Jay | 2nd Jan | ~ |
| Magpie | 1st Jan | ~ |
| Jackdaw | 22nd Jan | 2 over on 22/1, 29/1, 5 on 16/4 |
| Rook | 14th May | 3 over |
| Carrion Crow | 1st Jan | ~ |
| Starling | 1st Jan | ~ |
| House Sparrow | 7th May | 3 on 7/5 were a real surprise |
| Chaffinch | 1st Jan | party of 20+ in Jan and Feb, 30+ in Nov |
| Brambling | 18th Nov | 1 with Chaffinches on Black Duck Marsh |
| Greenfinch | 1st Jan | ~ |
| Goldfinch | 1st Jan | ~ |
| Linnet | 1st Jan | party 30+ in early Jan, but scarce in Feb and Mar, 15 in Apr |
| Reed Bunting | 2nd Jan | 5+ on 19/2 |
| Corn Bunting | 3rd Nov | in mixed flock of finches and Reed Buntings on Botany Marsh |
