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Two Tree Island

Southend-on-Sea, Italy

Two Tree Island

Two Tree Island is a small island lying north-east of Canvey Island and south-west of Leigh-on-Sea in Essex, England. It covers 257 hectares (640 acres) and is connected to the mainland at Leigh by a single span bridge. The island was reclaimed from the Thames Estuary in the 18th century and used as

pasture until 1910 when a sewage works was built on it. From 1936, the entire island was used as a landfill site; this was later reduced to a single small site on the island in 1974. It is now a nature reserve, run by Essex Wildlife Trust, and the eastern half is part of the Leigh National Nature Reserve. At the western end were two bird hides; overlooking a purpose-built scrape or lagoon where waders feed to the west and Benfleet Creek/Canvey Island Leigh Beck to the southwest. Both hides were destroyed by vandals in 2019; however, the lagoon and creek can still be viewed from where the hides stood and at other locations on the island's west side. There are two more bird hides on the east side, one over the scrape and one over the former landfill reservoir. During the breeding season both waders (including avocets) and gulls nest here. A nest watch has been organised for some years following...

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