Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve
Encyclopedia
Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve is the operating name of Sevenoaks Gravel Pits, a Site of Special Scientific Interest
between the M26 motorway
and the town of Sevenoaks
in southeast England
. It is a former gravel-pit of around 71 hectares (175 acre), split roughly evenly between water and land, and attracts a huge variety of species thanks to its diverse array of habitats.
s on the site were manually planted, and the lake
s and pond
s were created by excavating and flooding former gravel workings with water from the River Darent
.. As such, the site represented the first such conversion of a gravel-pit anywhere in the United Kingdom
.
Large areas of gravel
and sand
were replaced with woodland
, supporting bird
s such as woodpecker
s, warbler
s and tit
s, as well as other migratory birds. These include siskin
s - a bird that comes in the winter months to feed on alder
seeds.
Areas of the reserve have been left to mature and reach old age, with plenty of dead wood habitat for fungi and insects. In contrast, other sections see the trees are coppiced to create open areas and denser woodland with its own community of plants and animals. The reserve further includes five lakes and a mixed habitat of ponds, seasonally flooded pools, and reedbed; and the combination of wetland
and woodland
enables the reserve to support a diverse community of plants, fungi and animals. As of 2006, over two thousand species have been identified on the site.
s and shallows are exposed during spring and summer, creating feeding and nesting areas for a variety of waders and water fowl including the little ringed plover
, lapwing
, moorhen
, coot
and great crested grebe
. Large numbers of wildfowl regularly use the open water in the winter months such as the tufted duck
, greylag and Canada geese.
Canada and greylag geese, alongside the mallard and tufted duck
are the most numerous breeding species on the site, although wintering and passage wildfowl are also attracted including the pochard, shelduck
, teal
and shoveler
. Equally, passage waders such as the Greenshank
and Green Sandpiper
, as well as the uncommon Little Ringed Plover
, are a regular breeding species on the site.
Song bird
s, including the Whitethroat
, Reed
, and Sedge Warbler
s can be found in the woodland and reed beds on the site, while Sand Martin
s - a species that has undergone major fluctutations in recent years - have a significant colong in a sand face towards the south of the site.
The Gravel Pits' SSSI notification also notes the growing botanical
and entomological
interest of the site, with thirteen species of Odonata
(dragonflies) including the locally-distributed downy-emerald dragonfly Cordulia aenea. Plants of note include small cud-weed Filago minima, dwarf elder Sambucus ebulus, and slender bird's-foot trefoil Lotus angustissimus.
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
between the M26 motorway
M26 motorway
The M26 is a motorway in Kent, England. It provides a short link between the M25/A21 at Sevenoaks and the M20 near Wrotham.-Route:The motorway starts at junction 3 of the M20 and heads west, encountering almost immediately the single junction along its length where it has an interchange with the A20...
and the town of Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks is a commuter town situated on the London fringe of west Kent, England, some 20 miles south-east of Charing Cross, on one of the principal commuter rail lines from the capital...
in southeast England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is a former gravel-pit of around 71 hectares (175 acre), split roughly evenly between water and land, and attracts a huge variety of species thanks to its diverse array of habitats.
History
The site was converted from gravel-pit to nature reserve by the Harrison family - particularly Jeffery Harrison, after whom the visitor centre is named. As such, the site is almost totally man-made - nearly all treeTree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s on the site were manually planted, and the lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
s and pond
Pond
A pond is a body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is usually smaller than a lake. A wide variety of man-made bodies of water are classified as ponds, including water gardens, water features and koi ponds; all designed for aesthetic ornamentation as landscape or architectural...
s were created by excavating and flooding former gravel workings with water from the River Darent
River Darent
The River Darent or River Darenth is a Kentish tributary of the River Thames in England. Its name is believed to be from a Celtic word meaning 'river where oak-trees grow'...
.. As such, the site represented the first such conversion of a gravel-pit anywhere in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Large areas of gravel
Gravel
Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...
and sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
were replaced with woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
, supporting bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s such as woodpecker
Woodpecker
Woodpeckers are near passerine birds of the order Piciformes. They are one subfamily in the family Picidae, which also includes the piculets and wrynecks. They are found worldwide and include about 180 species....
s, warbler
Warbler
There are a number of Passeriformes called "warblers". They are not particularly closely related, but share some characteristics, such as being fairly small, vocal and insectivorous....
s and tit
Tit
TIT, Tit., tit., Tit, or Tits may refer to:- Birds :* Tit , of the family Paridae, including tits, chickadees and titmice* Long-tailed tits, of the family Aegithalidae* Wrentit, of the family Sylviidae...
s, as well as other migratory birds. These include siskin
Siskin
-Birds:The name siskin when referring to a bird is derived from an adaptation of the German dialect words sisschen, zeischen, which are diminuative forms of Middle High German and Middle Low German words, which are themselves apparently of Slavic origin...
s - a bird that comes in the winter months to feed on alder
Alder
Alder is the common name of a genus of flowering plants belonging to the birch family . The genus comprises about 30 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, few reaching large size, distributed throughout the North Temperate Zone and in the Americas along the Andes southwards to...
seeds.
Areas of the reserve have been left to mature and reach old age, with plenty of dead wood habitat for fungi and insects. In contrast, other sections see the trees are coppiced to create open areas and denser woodland with its own community of plants and animals. The reserve further includes five lakes and a mixed habitat of ponds, seasonally flooded pools, and reedbed; and the combination of wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
and woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
enables the reserve to support a diverse community of plants, fungi and animals. As of 2006, over two thousand species have been identified on the site.
SSSI designation
According to the notification for the site, the interest of Sevenoaks Gravel Pits centres on its breeding bird populations. The combination of water features such as shallows, spits and islands, as well as the planting of trees and aquatic plants, have provided conditions suitable for both breeding and wintering birds. The water levels in the lake are managed so that islandIsland
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
s and shallows are exposed during spring and summer, creating feeding and nesting areas for a variety of waders and water fowl including the little ringed plover
Little Ringed Plover
The Little Ringed Plover is a small plover. Adults have a grey-brown back and wings, a white belly, and a white breast with one black neckband. They have a brown cap, a white forehead, a black mask around the eyes with white above and a short dark bill...
, lapwing
Northern Lapwing
The Northern Lapwing , also known as the Peewit, Green Plover or just Lapwing, is a bird in the plover family. It is common through temperate Eurasia....
, moorhen
Moorhen
Moorhens, sometimes called marsh hens, are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family Rallidae. They constitute the genus Gallinula....
, coot
Eurasian Coot
The Eurasian Coot, Fulica atra, also known as Coot, is a member of the rail and crake bird family, the Rallidae. The Australian subspecies is known as the Australian Coot.-Distribution:...
and great crested grebe
Great Crested Grebe
The Great Crested Grebe is a member of the grebe family of water birds.- Description :The Great Crested Grebe is long with a wingspan. It is an excellent swimmer and diver, and pursues its fish prey underwater. The adults are unmistakable in summer with head and neck decorations...
. Large numbers of wildfowl regularly use the open water in the winter months such as the tufted duck
Tufted Duck
The Tufted Duck, Aythya fuligula, is a medium-sized diving duck with a population of close to one million birds.- Description :The adult male is all black except for white flanks and a blue-grey bill. It has an obvious head tuft that gives the species its name.The adult female is brown with paler...
, greylag and Canada geese.
Canada and greylag geese, alongside the mallard and tufted duck
Tufted Duck
The Tufted Duck, Aythya fuligula, is a medium-sized diving duck with a population of close to one million birds.- Description :The adult male is all black except for white flanks and a blue-grey bill. It has an obvious head tuft that gives the species its name.The adult female is brown with paler...
are the most numerous breeding species on the site, although wintering and passage wildfowl are also attracted including the pochard, shelduck
Common Shelduck
The Common Shelduck is a waterfowl species shelduck genus Tadorna. It is widespread and common in Eurasia, mainly breeding in temperate and wintering in subtropical regions; in winter, it can also be found in the Maghreb...
, teal
Common Teal
The Eurasian Teal or Common Teal is a common and widespread duck which breeds in temperate Eurasia and migrates south in winter. The Eurasian Teal is often called simply the Teal due to being the only one of these small dabbling ducks in much of its range...
and shoveler
Northern Shoveler
The Northern Shoveler , Northern Shoveller in British English, sometimes known simply as the Shoveler, is a common and widespread duck. It breeds in northern areas of Europe and Asia and across most of North America, and is a rare vagrant to Australia...
. Equally, passage waders such as the Greenshank
Greenshank
The Common Greenshank is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae, the typical waders. Its closest relative is the Greater Yellowlegs, together with which and the Spotted Redshank it forms a close-knit group...
and Green Sandpiper
Green Sandpiper
The Green Sandpiper is a small wader of the Old World. It represents an ancient lineage of the genus Tringa; its only close living relative is the Solitary Sandpiper . They both have brown wings with little light dots and a delicate but contrasting neck and chest pattern...
, as well as the uncommon Little Ringed Plover
Little Ringed Plover
The Little Ringed Plover is a small plover. Adults have a grey-brown back and wings, a white belly, and a white breast with one black neckband. They have a brown cap, a white forehead, a black mask around the eyes with white above and a short dark bill...
, are a regular breeding species on the site.
Song bird
Song Bird
Song Bird is a 1977 album by Deniece Williams. The album went to number 23 and number 66 on the Black and Pop album Charts respectively. The single Baby, Baby My Love's All For You reached number 13 and number 32 on the Black and UK singles....
s, including the Whitethroat
Whitethroat
The Common Whitethroat, Sylvia communis, is a common and widespread typical warbler which breeds throughout Europe and across much of temperate western Asia. This small passerine bird is strongly migratory, and winters in tropical Africa, Arabia and Pakistan.This is one of several Sylvia species...
, Reed
Acrocephalus
The Acrocephalus warblers are small, insectivorous passerine birds belonging to the genus Acrocephalus. Formerly in the paraphyletic Old World warbler assemblage, they are now separated as the namesake of the marsh- and tree-warbler family Acrocephalidae...
, and Sedge Warbler
Sedge Warbler
The Sedge Warbler is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It is a medium-sized warbler with a brown, streaked back and wings and a distinct pale supercilium. Sedge Warblers are migratory, crossing the Sahara to get from their European and Asian breeding grounds to spend winter in Africa...
s can be found in the woodland and reed beds on the site, while Sand Martin
Sand Martin
The Sand Martin is a migratory passerine bird in the swallow family. It has a wide range in summer, embracing practically the whole of Europe and the Mediterranean countries, part of northern Asia and also North America. It winters in eastern and southern Africa, South America and South Asia...
s - a species that has undergone major fluctutations in recent years - have a significant colong in a sand face towards the south of the site.
The Gravel Pits' SSSI notification also notes the growing botanical
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
and entomological
Entomology
Entomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...
interest of the site, with thirteen species of Odonata
Odonata
Odonata is an order of insects, encompassing dragonflies and damselflies . The word dragonfly is also sometimes used to refer to all Odonata, but the back-formation odonate is a more correct English name for the group as a whole...
(dragonflies) including the locally-distributed downy-emerald dragonfly Cordulia aenea. Plants of note include small cud-weed Filago minima, dwarf elder Sambucus ebulus, and slender bird's-foot trefoil Lotus angustissimus.