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Stanford Warren is a 17-hectare (42 acres) nature reserve south of Stanford-le-Hope in Essex, containing one of the largest reedbeds in the county. It is bisected by the River Hassenbrooke, and is managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust.[1]
The site is a former gravel quarry, and forms part of the Thameside Nature Discovery Park. The reed beds require regular cutting back to prevent them from drying out and reverting to woodland.[2]
Flora and fauna
Birds including reed warblers (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) and sedge warblers (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus) breed in the reserve, and are particularly important for the cuckoos (Cuculus canorus) that use their nests as hosts for their own eggs. Marsh harriers (Circus aeruginosus) and bearded tits (Panurus biarmicus) have also been seen in the reserve.[1]