The site comprises an area of rough grassland, scrub and thickets and young woodland centred around St. Nicholas Church and its associated graveyard and conservation area.
It is a small oasis of countryside on the edge of the urban sprawl of Basildon, located between the A127 London to Southend arterial road to the north, St. Nicholas Lane to the south, Pound Lane to the west and Basildon Road to the east.
I can see the eastern boundary of this site from my flat window so I just need to walk out of the front communal door and cross our small car park to reach it.
Being so close, this has enabled me to record fly over species from my window in the past e.g. Common Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers and Grey Heron. In addition, several species have been heard from my bed! e.g. Tawny Owl (occasionally), Red Fox (fairly regularly during the mating season) and night singers such as Robin and Song Thrush (regularly especially from late winter or early spring).
I have been visiting this area for a number of years but on an irregular basis and primarily in the spring.
A full description of the site appears on my website.
Prior to including St. Nicholas Church and the surrounding areas within my regular local patch wildlife watching, I had already managed to record the following total number of species:
Birds = 41
Mammals = 4
Butterflies = 15
Dragonflies and damselflies = 3
Reptiles = 1
Amphibians = 0
Photo: St. Nicholas Church
Photo: St. Nicholas Church graveyard and conservation area
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Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature
Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature
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