Thursday, 16 February 2012

Gravel Pits

Watermead Country Park

Map Info
Nearest Town: 
Thurmaston
County: 
Leicestershire
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Information
Wildlife Description: 

Birds

Tufted duck, Coot, Mallard, Mute Swan, Great Crested Grebe, Grey Heron, Cormorant, Kingfisher, Pochard, Shoveler, Bullfinch, Common Gull, Crow, Dunlin, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Goosander, Lapwing, Shelduck, Tree Sparrow, Wigeon, Wren, Canada Goose, Moorhen

Butterflies and moths

Speckled wood, Small White, Large White, Gatekeeper, Cinnabar moth, Small Skipper, Ringlet, Peacock, Red Admiral, Comma

Dragonflies and Damselflies

Brown Hawker, Common Blue Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Banded demoiselle damselfly

Insects

Soldier Beetle, Green Bottle, Speckled Bush-Cricket,  

Other Vertibrates

Grass Snake, Grey Squirrel

 

Attenborough Nature Reserve

Facts
Site Managed By: 
Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust
Official Website: 
Website
Map Info
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Information
Place Description: 

Attenborough Nature Reserve is situated just to the SW of Nottingham, between Beeston and Long Eaton. Plenty of car parking spaces, with a New Visitors Centre that has an excellent Cafe/Restaurant serving quality food during the day. Excellent facilities for all users, including disabled toilets and a small shop.

Wildlife Description: 

There are many routes you can take around the reserve, a New Hide has recently been opened with views over one of the many ponds. Here can be seen Kingfishers, Herons, plus the usual waterbirds. Herons can be seen on most walks, there's a rich variety of wildlife all around the reserve. An alternative route taking you west of the centre takes you to open fields where in summer there's a wide variety of insect life. In winter you stand an excellent chance of seeing Short eared Owls hunting over the fields.

Directions: 

Coming through Nottingham, take the ring road past the University heading for Beeston and Chilwell. Keep going through, then follow the road signs to the Centre.

Best Time to Visit: 

Mid week is best for a more quite visit. At weekends it can get very busy with cyclists and walkers. In summer the park gates don't close until 10pm, so early and late are often best.

Bedfont Lakes Country Park LNR

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Facts
Size (Hectares): 
76
Classification: 
Local Nature Reserve, SINC, Country Park, Green Flag Award 2008/09
Environment Type: 

Urban

Region: 
Greater London
Site Managed By: 
Continental Landscapes Ltd
Address: 

Bedfont Lakes Country Park LNR, Clockhouse Lane, Bedfont, Middx. TW14 8QA

Contact Information: 
Chris Pate, Head RangerTel. 0845 456 2796chris.pate@continental-landscapes.co.uk
Map Info
Nearest Town: 
Bedfont
County: 
Greater London
Grid Reference: 
TL 079 727
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Information
Place Description: 

Car park, hides, nature trail, information centre, toilets,guided walks, regular events, adventure play area, dedicated dogs off lead excercise area, leaflets

Habitat: 

Willow carr, reedbeds, lakes, scrub, neutral grassland, wildflower meadows

Wildlife Description: 

350 species of plants including bee orchid, field scabious, lady's bedstraw, ox-eye daisy, black knapweed, wild marjoram, birdsfoot trefoil, wild carrot and native black poplar. 156 species of birds including common tern, skylark, willow warbler, chiffchaff, whitethroat, lesser whitethroat, blackcap, garden warbler, reed warbler, sedge warbler, linnet, bullfinch, reed bunting and hobby breeding on site. Bittern, Smew, pochard, tufted duck, teal, widgeon, shoveler, woodcock, common snipe, cormorant, meadow pipit, lapwing, fieldfare, redwing and a roost of about 3000 corvids in winter. 24 species of butterflies, 124 species of moths including 6-spot burnet, cinnabar and goat Moth. 20 species of dragonflies and damselflies. Grasshoppers include Roesel's bush cricket and long-winged conehead. 58 species of spider and 97 species of fungi. Amphibians include common frog, marsh frog, common toad and smooth newt. 20 species of mammals including field and bank voles, wood mice, rabbit, fox, grey squirrel, pipistrelle and Daubenton's bats.

Volunteer: 

bedfontlakesvolunteers@googlemail.co.uk

Dinton Pastures Country Park

Facts
Size (Hectares): 
135
Site Owned By: 
Wokingham Borough Council
Official Website: 
Website
Map Info
Nearest Town: 
Wokingham
County: 
Berkshire
Information
Place Description: 
Collection of flooded gravel pits now managed by Wokingham Borough Council as a country park. Excellent disabled access with wheelchair and electric buggy available for hire. Disabled and able bodied angling and wheelchair adapted bird hide. Visitor centre with catering facilities.
Habitat: 
7 lakes, 2 rivers, and meadows.
Wildlife Description: 
Wide variety of waterfowl, woodland birds and odonata.
Directions: 
Main car part, Davis Street, Hurst RG10 0TH Additional parking: Sandford Mill & Museum of Berkshire Aviation both between Woodley & Hurst, Berkshire

Loddon Reserve

Facts
Size (Hectares): 
13.5
Site Owned By: 
BBOWT
Map Info
Nearest Town: 
Twyford
County: 
Berkshire
Information
Place Description: 
One of the largest of a group of flooded gravel pits just outside Twyford. Circular walk which can get flooded in winter. Parking in town carpark half a mile away.
Habitat: 
Flooded gravel pit
Wildlife Description: 
Winter waterbirds: smew, tufted duck, pochard, gadwall, snipe & cormorant. Breeding site of lapwing, common tern and redshank.

Attenborough Nature Reserve

Facts
Site Managed By: 
Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust
Official Website: 
Website
Information
Place Description: 
Attenborough Nature Reserve is situated just to the SW of Nottingham, between Beeston and Long Eaton. Plenty of car parking Special Protection Areasces, with a New Visitors Centre that has an excellent Cafe/Restaurant serving quality food during the day. Excellent facilities for all users, including disabled toilets and a small shop.
Wildlife Description: 
There are many routes you can take around the reserve, a New Hide has recently been opened with views over one of the many ponds. Here can be seen Kingfishers, Herons, plus the usual waterbirds. Herons can be seen on most walks, there's a rich variety of wildlife all around the reserve. An alternative route taking you west of the centre takes you to open fields where in summer there's a wide variety of insect life. In winter you stand an excellent chance of seeing Short eared Owls hunting over the fields.
Directions: 
Coming through Nottingham, take the ring road past the University heading for Beeston and Chilwell. Keep going through, then follow the road signs to the Centre.
Best Time to Visit: 
Mid week is best for a more quite visit. At weekends it can get very busy with cyclists and walkers. In summer the park gates don't close until 10pm, so early and late are often best.

Decoy Heath

Facts
Size (Hectares): 
7
Site Owned By: 
BBOWT
Official Website: 
Website
Map Info
Nearest Town: 
Tadley
Information
Place Description: 
Formerly a gravel pit Decoy Heath is one of the best sites for dragonfly and damselfy in Berkshire with 23 species known to breed there. The woodland which makes up half the reserve is home to over 80 bird species. Surfaced car park, can be muddy in winter. Dogs on leads please.
Habitat: 
Heath, filled gravel pit, woodland
Wildlife Description: 
80 species of bird inlcuding tawny owl, linnet, snipe, skylark and nightjar. 23 species of damselfly and dragonfly including the downy and brilliant emerald. Adders.
Directions: 
9 miles south-west of Reading between Silchester and Aldermaston.
Best Time to Visit: 
Best times to visit: spring and summer

Greenham & Cookham Commons

Facts
Site Owned By: 
West Berkshire Council
Official Website: 
Website
Map Info
Nearest Town: 
Newbury
Information
Place Description: 
Greenham Common - a name linked world-wide with the awesome potential of nuclear deterrence and the protest movement it gave rise to. The land is now a fast growing nature reserve owned and managed by the local council and what was a notorious nuclear weapons base is now managed as a heathland nature reserve supported a wide range of species which opened to the public in 2000. Evidence can still be seen of it's former use and this is part of it's charm to see how quickly areas are returned to nature. Crookham common adjoins Greenham Common to the east.
Habitat: 
Heathland, ponds
Wildlife Description: 
Mostly heathland, supporting gorse, heather and bracken, together with a range of small and sometimes rare plants and lichens and rare and fragile heathland birds, plants and animals. Grazing livestock.
Directions: 
Signposted from the A4 east of Newbury

Bedfont Lakes Country Park LNR

Facts
Size (Hectares): 
76
Region: 
Greater London
Site Managed By: 
Continental Landscapes Ltd
Contact Information: 
Chris Pate, Head RangerTel. 0845 456 2796chris.pate@continental-landscapes.co.uk
Official Website: 
Website
Map Info
Nearest Town: 
Bedfont
County: 
Greater London
Grid Reference: 
TL 079 727
Information
Place Description: 
Car park, hides, nature trail, information centre, toilets,guided walks, regular events, adventure play area, dedicated dogs off lead excercise area, leaflets
Habitat: 
Willow carr, reedbeds, lakes, scrub, neutral grassland, wildflower meadows
Wildlife Description: 
350 species of plants including bee orchid, field scabious, lady's bedstraw, ox-eye daisy, black knapweed, wild marjoram, birdsfoot trefoil, wild carrot and native black poplar. 156 species of birds including common tern, skylark, willow warbler, chiffchaff, whitethroat, lesser whitethroat, blackcap, garden warbler, reed warbler, sedge warbler, linnet, bullfinch, reed bunting and hobby breeding on site. Bittern, Smew, pochard, tufted duck, teal, widgeon, shoveler, woodcock, common snipe, cormorant, meadow pipit, lapwing, fieldfare, redwing and a roost of about 3000 corvids in winter. 24 species of butterflies, 124 species of moths including 6-spot burnet, cinnabar and goat Moth. 20 species of dragonflies and damselflies. Grasshoppers include Roesel's bush cricket and long-winged conehead. 58 species of spider and 97 species of fungi. Amphibians include common frog, marsh frog, common toad and smooth newt. 20 species of mammals including field and bank voles, wood mice, rabbit, fox, grey squirrel, pipistrelle and Daubenton's bats.
Volunteer: 
bedfontlakesvolunteers@googlemail.co.uk
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