Restharrow Nature Reserve
Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory Trust (SBBOT)
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Army Helping
The Scrape in July
Restharrow Scrape
The area where Restharrow Scrape was excavated in 2003 is occupied by SBBOT on a 10 year lease from our neighbour Mr Richard Daw. It is accessible to the public and is located just off the Ancient Highway at the Deal end of the Estate, about 400 metres past The Elms. Click here to view a map of SBBOT's reserves.
The Royal School of Military Engineering at Chatham completed phase one of the project in 2001 and further work transformed the 12 acre site into a scrape with an island and two deep channels. The soil from the excavations was used to create a bank around the outside of the site, which has minimised disturbance and provided a screen for access to the hide. Further improvements have included the creation of muddy edges and a deeper external channel to prevent drying out, which has resulted in three distinct islands.
Breeding species include Greylag Goose, Tufted Duck, Oysterchatcher, Lapwing and Little Ringed Plover and species that have been recorded on migration include Temminck's Stint, Wood Sandpiper and Garganey. Jack Snipe has occurred in winter and there have ben occasional unexpected visits from Little Gull, Egyptian Goose, Grey Phalarope and Great Skua.
The Scrape is also notable for Red-veined Darter, a dragonfly species that first appeared in the area in 2005. It is also holds substantial numbers of Black-tailed Skimmer and Small Red-eyed Damselfly.
