Chigborough Lakes

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This Essex Wildlife Trust reserve is one of a number of worked-out flooded gravel pits to the north of the Blackwater Estuary. It lies on a thin layer of sands and gravels on top of London Clay, hence the lakes are shallow. The western compartment was left unrestored after extraction resulting in a more varied topography than the restored eastern section. Because of this it has a wide variety of habitats, including willow carr, open water, small ponds, marshy areas, grazed grassland and blackthorn/hawthorn scrub.

Extraction has left some low-nutrient areas with interesting flowers, such as common spotted and bee orchids, heath speedwell, common stork's-bill and wild strawberry. Trees of note include a single wild service tree, a veteran oak pollard and two recently planted black poplar. It has eleven 'varieties' of willow, including almond and purple willow and several recently pollarded cricket-bat willows.

Over 120 species of bird have been recorded, and more than 40 of these have bred at some time, including great crested and little grebes, little egret, grey heron and kingfisher. The reserve has also seen recent increases in cetti's warbler and smew. Other birds of interest include hobby, bullfinch and barn owl.

Grass snakes can be seen and common lizards appreciate the log piles. Most of the common butterflies and dragonflies can be seen in summer. Harvest mice have been recorded also.