Marsh Sounds in April.

Sawbridgeworth Marsh Nature Reserve in April.

Do you visit the Marsh? At present the reserve is just waking up from Winter. It is proposed to visit several sites on the reserve to show what you may see as the seasons progress. Firstly, the sites.

The sedge beds have to be cut regularly to stop succession to sallow and willow woodland and to give weaker and more interesting plants a chance.






Here is a Harvest Mouse nest found while cutting. The animals are not here now but have moved to drier and higher ground for the Winter.

The ditch sytem has to be de-silted or 'slubbed' out regularly to maintain the habitat.

There are a surprsingly early brood of Mallard ducklings!

This is the backwater which fringes the Reserve. It is relatively undisturbed and is the original channel of the River Stort.

These are pollard willows. Cut like this they are easy and safe to maintain as well as providing rich habitat.

This is a pondweed called Starwort, it is found in the semi-permanent water of the ditches in the wood.




Nearby, are some clumps of Marsh Marigolds.

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This part of Valet Homes Wood has been cut to try and restore rich wet grassland. We shall see how it develops.


The Winter floods have left a 'tideline' of Banded Snails.

There is already a good show of Cuckoo Flowers.



And finally, this is the peat bank, now quite bare we shall see how it develops with the coming of Spring and Summer.

Hatfield Forest Oxlips.

Hatfield Forest is geographically on the edge of the Oxlip 'zone' . There are however some small colonies of this delicate Spring flower so where might you see them? Try looking in the north part of the forest in the region of the Eight Wantz Ways.














Look out for grassy areas in better lit parts of the coppice. This is what a really good example looks like from a neighbouring wood.

In the Forest they are smaller and likely to be found growing with Herb Paris and Wood Sorrel.

The leaves of Primroses are long and tapered whilst the Cowslip has distinctive flowers.

Here are two more woodland plants you can find with the Oxlips. Firstly, the Wood Sorrel and secondly, the Dog Violet.

You are certain to find the Barren Strawberry, if you are lucky you may find the rare and unusual Herb Paris

All these plants can be found at least until the end of April.

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