Last week I went to one of the RSPB's reserves Frampton Marsh which is next to the coast of the wash. Here you can encounter some of the reserves unique bird and plant life. The reserve is mostly made up of wetlands, reedbeds and large freshwater scrapes but backs up to the salt marsh next to the river Witham mouth.
Above: The far end of the reserve overlooking the scrapes
Above: Start of the journey to the Witham Mouth
Salt Marsh
Salt Marsh supports a number of different communities. Salt-tolerant plants can been seen covering the raised islands that make up the Salt Marsh. Nearly 300 species of invertebrate are associated with Salt Marsh and is important for breeding wildfowl and waders. Salt Marsh is also important to several fish as the creeks make good nursery's.
Birds
Above: Wigeon in flight
Above: Brent Geese
Above: Gold Finch on Hawthorn
Above: Little Egret
Above: Lapwing
Plant Communities
Above: Sea Aster in seed
Above: Purple Glasswort, this is the first plant to establish because of is high salt tolerance.
Above: Common Cordgrass which can trap and stabilise up to 10cm of sediment a year on Salt Marshs.
Beginnings
Salt Marsh begins as mudflat which typically is unvegetated but on sheltered parts of the coast the mud become raised into mini islands above the water level were Salt Marsh plants can grow and gradually merges into the sea.
Above: Mudflat turning into Salt Marsh
Above: Oyster Catchers and the end of the mudflat