Ray Island and Bonners Saltings 
nature reserve

Mersea Island

Map Ref:  TM 011 154. 
Public Transport - Regular bus services run between Colchester and West Mersea and will drop and pick up at Strood Villa.
No dogs.

Directions
To the west of the Strood - the causeway that carries the B1025 from Colchester across to Mersea Island.  Footpath access for Trust members only across Bonner's Saltings.   Check the state and times of the tides before crossing Bonner's Saltings as the pathway is often flooded to a depth of several feet - do not attempt to cross in the two hours preceding high water. 

Ray Island is a remote and somtimes bleak nature reserve, owned by the National Trust and managed by Essex Wildlife Trust.  Ray Island has a shingle foreshore/beach area and a extensive areas of rough grassland.  Bonners Saltings is a saltmarsh between the Strood causeway and Ray Island and is private property but the owners have kindly agreed to Trust members having access to cross to Ray Island.  

Designation:
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Specially Protected Area

What to look for:
Ray Island has a shingly foreshore/beach area on the northern side, with a sizeable freshwater pond nearby, and extensive areas of rough grassland.  On higher grounds, there are Blackthorn thickets and some old Hawthorns.  The island is grazed by Soay sheep, a primitive rare breed, who have been on the island for a number of years.

The southern edge of the island has some of fine examples of salt-marsh-grassland-scrub.  There is a  wide range of saltmarsh plants including Lax-flowered Sea Lavender, Golden Samphire and Sea Rush.  

Breeding birds include Redshank, Oystercatcher and Shelduck.  Large numbers of wildfowl and waders overwinter.   

All the common finches can be seen throughout the year.  Birds of prey are commonly seen, including Long-eared and Short-eared Owl, Hen Harrier, and Barn Owl.  

Access
Restricted from 1st March to 31st August. Essex Wildlife Trust members only. The pathway is about one mile long and visitors have to negotiate a number of single plank bridges without hand rails.  Care must be taken as these can be very slippery. 

Did you know?
There are many small  mammals on Ray Island, in particular Voles.