Description:

South Swale covers 428 hectares and is home to thousands of wildfowl and waders in winter, and some very special plants in summer.

Visit on a calm sunny day in summer and it buzzes with the sound of grasshoppers, beetles, skylark, reed warbler and breeding redshank. Amongst the reeds you might also hear the 'ching' of a bearded tit or catch a distant view of a marsh harrier.

On the beach, look for the spectacular yellow horned-poppy. Saltmarsh plants grow best in Faversham Creek: golden samphire, sea-lavender and sea-purslane together make a colourful show.

On the landward side of the sea wall you can find many more wild flowers, including the tall, white, umbrella-like wild carrot and the short, pink, spiny restharrow.

In winter, the mudflats and tidal waters of the Swale estuary teem with shellfish, worms and certain specialised plants. These attract huge numbers of birds to feed, especially as the tide goes out. Grey plover, dunlin, oystercatcher, godwits and curlew all probe the mud for food. Wigeon and up to 2,000 Brent geese rely heavily on eelgrass, which grows below the high tide mark.

Buntings and finches often search for seeds on the beach. Over the sea wall, look for flocks of golden plover and the occasional short-eared owl or hen harrier hunting for small mammals or unsuspecting birds. The merlin, which eats mainly birds, is also a frequent winter visitor.