12th June 2018
Following my orchid fest on Monday I decided to venture
north of the Thames on a gloomy, cool Tuesday to investigate the three EWT
managed Chafford Gorges.
Now, my friend Ruth is practically the only person I know to
regularly birds all three sites and the lure of various orchid species in Grays
Gorge tempted me to visit so at least I know where she is talking about!. These
three old chalk pits are no more than three miles from where I work at RSPB
Rainham Marshes and sit within the old ‘new build’ that is Chafford Hundred
flanked by major industry and the Lakeside retail park and yet I had never visited.
I had looked into Warren Gorge from the top a few years back
after Ruth found an Alpine Swift which later visited the reserve too and
while Ruth was standing next to me but had never ventured inside and so after a
spot of second breakfast I headed that way.
After finding a convenient layby I ambled back to Lion Gorge
and entered through the imposing chalk cliffs to a leafy bowl filled with a
superb tree lined lake. I did not spend too long here but was hit by the scent
of Wild Privet as I descended and the lure of tiny Wild Strawberries clinging to
the slopes added a sweet dessert to breakfast.
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| Wild Strawberry |
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| Lion Gorge |
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| Wild Privet |
Mute Swans, Great Crested Grebes and Tufted Ducks were on
the lake and a Grey Heron speared a good sized fish from one of the fishing platforms.
I suspect that it would be really good for dragonflies down here but it was
just too cool that morning.
Retracing my steps I found one of the entrances into Grays
Gorge and walked straight into a chalky orchid haven with amazingly robust
spikes of Common Spotted and Common Twayblade scattered in the thin soil
amongst the small Silver Birches. Clumps
of Common Broomrape pushed through grassy areas and a couple of vivid Pyramidal
Orchids were found.
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| Common Spotted |
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| Common Spotted |
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| Common Spotted |
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| Common Spotted - I presume |
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| Common Broomrape |
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| Common Twayblade |
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| Common Twayblade & Spotted Orchid |
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| Huge Common Twayblade |
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| Pyramidal |
Song Thrushes were belting out and the sound was echoing off
the chalk walls and parties of Long-tailed Tits were roving. The path veered off through a wooded area which was dark and
largely silent bar the usual woodland species and although I looked I could not
find any Birds Nest Orchids – I was even smelling out for them after my
encounter the day before in Kent. Mosquitoes were out in force but I only saw a
couple of Episyrphus balteatus hoverflies and no butterflies at all.
Perennial Sweet Pea and Black Bryony tangled in the verges
and Hedge Woundwort was just blooming. I discovered another new plant in the
shape of Round-leaved Wintergreen with spikes of delightful white flowers
rising from almost leathery violet type leaves.
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| Black Bryony |
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| Perennial Sweet Pea |
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| Round-leaved Wintergreen |
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| Round-leaved Wintergreen |
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| Round-leaved Wintergreen |
A couple of Six Spot Burnets were sitting around but were
very lethargic!
My circuit took me towards the crystal clear lake with its
skeletonised submerged trees where White Lilies dotted the surface and Little Grebes
trilled. Once again I could picture dragonflies should that pesky sun reveal
itself!
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| Stinking Iris |
Patches of Spotted Orchids were seen in every clearing but I
still could not find the Man Orchids so I looped back to the upper path and
headed along the track around the lip of the gorge passing a snail-smashing
Song Thrush on the way and there, just beyond three large ancient post-glacial Sarsen
Stones was a clearing with a regimental battalion of Man Orchids all standing
proud and green above the sparse grasses, Yellow Rattle and various
Vetches. A smart Fox watched me from the
lip before slipping under the fence where noisy but invisible youngsters
waited.
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| Man Orchids |
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| Man Orchids |
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| Man Orchid |
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| Man Orchid |
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| Sarsen Stone |
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| Common Broomrape |
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| Common Vetch |
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| Kidney Vetch |
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| Vetchling |
The view from up here was superb and took in the full scale
of the site and if it were not for the distant Littlebrook Power Station
chimney then you would have had trouble working out where your were. It just amazed me that such a wild looking
haven could exist within the human sprawl of this congested area.
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| Grays Gorge |
Two down and one to go so I drove the short distance to
Warren Gorge with its proper car park and visitors centre before heading down
the slope into the reserve below. The
lakes here are expansive and the largest hold the colony of most of our local
Grey Herons and Little Egrets – both species of which could be seen coming and
going. The presence of the latter just a few short years ago would have been
unthinkable and given the habitat and site security, I suspect that numbers
will only rise.
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| Warren Gorge |
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| Incoming Egret |
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| Great Crested Grebe |
Both Geese, Mute Swans and Grebes had young and Reed Warblers gurked from the reedy edges
while a Kingfisher zoomed high over my head.
There were plenty of House Martins foraging and the estate and gorge
have always been good for this species and so it was gratifying to see so many
in year when they seem absent in many places. Several Sand Martins were also
seen despite the bank by the Sand Martin pub being deserted for several years
now.
Two juvenile red-capped Great Spotted Woodpeckers were having
a proper barney with four spotty young Mistle Thrushes over who had the rights
to some dead tree in the north lake with much noise and posturing from both
species!
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| Great Spotted Woodpecker |
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| Great Spotted Woodpecker |
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| Mistle Thrush |
With the temperature still not improving and the first spots of drizzle appearing I
decided that a relaxing afternoon at ‘work’ with a coffee and my friends would
be a suitable way to round off my day...
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