NOTES ON EAST TILBURY, 1962
217
diminutive Sea Milkwort (Glaux maritima) to the Sea Aster (Aster
tripolium) and that most vigorous of maritime grasses—
Townsend's Cord Grass (Spartina townsendii). There are two
areas of quite vigorous Spartina development at East Tilbury, one
at Coalhouse Point and another at the entrance to the saltings by
the Fort. It will be extremely interesting to see how these areas
further develop over the next few years.
The grass layer of the saltings is primarily Common Saltmarsh
Grass (Puccinellia maritima). Common Scurvy Grass (Cochlearia
officinale) is extremely plentiful along the borders of the numerous
channels on the marsh, Sea Plantain (Plantago maritima), Sea
Arrowgrass (Triglochin maritima) and Sea Wormwood (Artemesia
maritima) are common. Glasswort (Salicornia) is also plentiful on
the marsh but I have been so far unable to distinguish the different
species. All these plants, are, however, outshone in mass display
by the Hoary Cress (Cardaria draba) which is extremely plentiful
and vigorous on the river wall. This plant has an interesting
history—it was reputedly introduced to this country in the straw
from the bedding of soldiers returning from the abortive
Walcheren campaign in the Napoleonic wars. It is now spreading
northwards from our South-East region. There is one interesting
omission on the Saltmarsh, the Common Sea Lavender (Limonium
vulgare), which is plentiful near Tilbury Power Station and also
across the river on Higham saltings.
Immediately behind the river wall there are two areas of
interest, the Moat in front of the fort contains Tassel Pondweed
(Ruppia maritima), and the channels and meadows to the West
of the fort. The channels contain Various Leaved Crowfoot
(Ranunculus heterophyllus) and are surrounded with Sea Club-
rush (Scirpus maritimus). In this area as well as on the Saltmarsh
itself there is plentiful Mud Rush (Juncus gerardi) and at the
Port end of the channel there is a developing area of Sea Rush
(Juncus maritimus).
In the meadow behind the channel there are two sedges, Brown
Sedge (Carex disticha) and the smaller Pond Sedge (Carex
acutiformis), the latter in restricted quantity only in a ditch nearer
the fort. Farther back and along the line of the escarpment on
the footpath from East Tilbury to Tilbury we have made at least
one interesting botanical find. Just outside East Tilbury on the
footpath we believe we have found Dwarf Elder (Sambucus
ebulus), but this we have to confirm with fresh material in the
summer of 1963.
For the birdwatcher the area has much of interest. Bounded
as it is between a rubbish dump and a sewage works to the West, a
sewage works to the North-east and the river to the South, what
better and more attractive area could a bird wish for! On the
mud flats there are plentiful Mallard, Shelduck, Dunlin, Curlew
and Redshank and we have also seen Ringed Plovers and Godwits
on occasions. On the moat in front of the fort which seems very
well stocked with small fish, we have seen grebe and, in the