My local patches
UPDATE - 17th March 2020
I have started writing a daily blog which can be found at SS15 wildlife watching.
Arising from the spread of COVID-19 in the UK, the Government brought in advisory and mandatory measures in respect of "social distancing" and "self-isolation". As a consequence, all my planned spring and early summer wildlife watching trips around East Anglia and to Somerset, Wales and the Scottish Highlands have quickly disappeared from my calendar. Furthermore, a provisional itinerary in respect of a late August/early September trip across the Bay of Biscay and around Asturias and Castille y Leon in northern Spain has not progressed beyond initial research.
So, after much thought (well, actually none), plan B was "local patch" birding. In fact, given the restrictions on what the Government describe as "all but essential travel", it is the only solution available to me if I want to have any experience of wildlife and the outdoor environment. It was not difficult for me to choose a "local patch" since I needed a site or sites close to (within 1 mile) my home so that there was no need to travel by public transport or rental car.
This, therefore, confined me to the SS15 postcode area. The SS15 postcode area is around 1.8 miles north west of Basildon town centre in Essex and contains Laindon, Lee Chapel North, Noak Bridge, Steeple View and Southfields.
I have actually chosen 3 sites within the SS15 postcode area:
St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas …. my established "local patch" as per below.
Noak Bridge Nature Reserve
Gloucester Park
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Just a few minutes walk from where I live in Laindon, Essex is my “local patch”, an area of rough grassland, scrub and young woodland centred around St. Nicholas Church.
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.
Church Hill cuts through the middle of the area and at the top of this road lies St Nicholas Church. From this high point there are extensive views of the surrounding area. On a clear day, views extend to The Shard in the City of London and Canary Wharf.
St. Nicholas Church
St. Nicholas Church was built in the 13th century. The chancel and south aisle were added in the 14th century. The timber roof is more than 500 years old whilst the oldest part is the nave which dates back over 800 years. A timber annexe was added at the western end, possibly in the 17th century or earlier. This became a Priest's House and also home to the first school in the area. Puckle's School, as it was known, opened around 1837. The importance of the church and its continuing presence was recognised when it was awarded Grade 1 listed building status. The Church serves the Parish of Laindon with Dunton.
St. Nicholas Church sits on top of a hill surrounded by approximately 3.5 acres of land. This is a designated wildlife site, having been set aside for nature conservation.
In 2008, St. Nicholas Church invited the Essex Field Club to carry out a biodiversity survey in and around the church to explore and record as many species as they could find living in or using this valuable habitat. There were 228 plant species recorded, none of which are rare but this number of species in such a relatively small area was described as “impressive” by the Essex Field Club. In addition, various species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects and molluscs were recorded.
St. Nicholas Church has previously won the “Essex Best Kept Churchyard Competition”. This competition is run by the Rural Community Council of Essex (RCCE) and aims to recognise and reward churchyards in Essex that are well-managed and which provide a peaceful haven for both humans and wildlife.
Species
Since I first started visiting the site many years ago and until the end of 2023, I have recorded the following:
Birds = 69
Mammals = 7
Butterflies = 25
Dragonflies and damselflies = 14
Reptiles = 1
Amphibians = 0
In addition to this website, my photos appear on my blog whilst my photos of the local Red Foxes appear on my Flickr page.
Aerial views of St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas
Here is a drone film from Daniel Keys sourced from You Tube:
I have started writing a daily blog which can be found at SS15 wildlife watching.
Arising from the spread of COVID-19 in the UK, the Government brought in advisory and mandatory measures in respect of "social distancing" and "self-isolation". As a consequence, all my planned spring and early summer wildlife watching trips around East Anglia and to Somerset, Wales and the Scottish Highlands have quickly disappeared from my calendar. Furthermore, a provisional itinerary in respect of a late August/early September trip across the Bay of Biscay and around Asturias and Castille y Leon in northern Spain has not progressed beyond initial research.
So, after much thought (well, actually none), plan B was "local patch" birding. In fact, given the restrictions on what the Government describe as "all but essential travel", it is the only solution available to me if I want to have any experience of wildlife and the outdoor environment. It was not difficult for me to choose a "local patch" since I needed a site or sites close to (within 1 mile) my home so that there was no need to travel by public transport or rental car.
This, therefore, confined me to the SS15 postcode area. The SS15 postcode area is around 1.8 miles north west of Basildon town centre in Essex and contains Laindon, Lee Chapel North, Noak Bridge, Steeple View and Southfields.
I have actually chosen 3 sites within the SS15 postcode area:
St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas …. my established "local patch" as per below.
Noak Bridge Nature Reserve
Gloucester Park
********************************************************************************************
Just a few minutes walk from where I live in Laindon, Essex is my “local patch”, an area of rough grassland, scrub and young woodland centred around St. Nicholas Church.
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.
Church Hill cuts through the middle of the area and at the top of this road lies St Nicholas Church. From this high point there are extensive views of the surrounding area. On a clear day, views extend to The Shard in the City of London and Canary Wharf.
St. Nicholas Church
St. Nicholas Church was built in the 13th century. The chancel and south aisle were added in the 14th century. The timber roof is more than 500 years old whilst the oldest part is the nave which dates back over 800 years. A timber annexe was added at the western end, possibly in the 17th century or earlier. This became a Priest's House and also home to the first school in the area. Puckle's School, as it was known, opened around 1837. The importance of the church and its continuing presence was recognised when it was awarded Grade 1 listed building status. The Church serves the Parish of Laindon with Dunton.
St. Nicholas Church sits on top of a hill surrounded by approximately 3.5 acres of land. This is a designated wildlife site, having been set aside for nature conservation.
In 2008, St. Nicholas Church invited the Essex Field Club to carry out a biodiversity survey in and around the church to explore and record as many species as they could find living in or using this valuable habitat. There were 228 plant species recorded, none of which are rare but this number of species in such a relatively small area was described as “impressive” by the Essex Field Club. In addition, various species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects and molluscs were recorded.
St. Nicholas Church has previously won the “Essex Best Kept Churchyard Competition”. This competition is run by the Rural Community Council of Essex (RCCE) and aims to recognise and reward churchyards in Essex that are well-managed and which provide a peaceful haven for both humans and wildlife.
Species
Since I first started visiting the site many years ago and until the end of 2023, I have recorded the following:
Birds = 69
Mammals = 7
Butterflies = 25
Dragonflies and damselflies = 14
Reptiles = 1
Amphibians = 0
In addition to this website, my photos appear on my blog whilst my photos of the local Red Foxes appear on my Flickr page.
Aerial views of St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas
Here is a drone film from Daniel Keys sourced from You Tube: