Sound Heath
Encyclopedia
Sound Heath, also known as Sound Common, is an area of common land
in Sound
, near Nantwich
in Cheshire
, England, which includes heathland
, grassland
, scrub
, woodland
and wetland
habitats. The majority of the area is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest
and a Local Nature Reserve
.
One of the very few lowland heaths in Cheshire, Sound Heath is a valuable habitat for heathland plants and animals, although its heathland character is currently under threat from the spread of trees and scrub. The common's ponds form one of the most important sites in the county for freshwater
invertebrate
s. Three nationally rare
or endangered
species have been found within the area: the mud snail
, great raft spider
and the Enochrus isotae species of water scavenger beetle, as well as the nationally scarce beautiful snout moth
. The first sightings of the migrant hawker dragonfly
and scorched carpet moth
in Cheshire were at Sound Heath, and many other locally rare species have been recorded here. The site is also an important breeding site for birds.
, 3 miles southwest of Nantwich
, at an average elevation of around 65 metres. The underlying geology is Keuper marl
(Mercia Mudstone Group
), a red sandstone
laid down during the Triassic
period. Glacial sand deposition
has generated a light, sandy soil which is nutrient poor. Localised sand extraction has resulted in numerous pools.
The Site of Special Scientific Interest
(SSSI) of Sound Heath was designated in 1963 and occupies 4.80 Ha. The Local Nature Reserve
(LNR), which is named Sound Common, was designated in 1992; it is slightly smaller at 4.61 Ha. Both SSSI and LNR include two distinct sites: the larger site (3.84 Ha in the SSSI) lies between Wrenbury Heath Road–Sound Lane and the Red Lion Farm track, and is centred at around . A second smaller area (0.96 Ha) lies northeast of the main site, to the north of Wrenbury Heath Road, and is centred at around .
The common land
includes both SSSI/LNR sites and also extends over a larger region, including three additional areas contiguous with the larger SSSI/LNR site: north of Sound Lane, and in the triangles formed by Sound Lane, Wrenbury Heath Road and Heath View, and Wrenbury Heath Road, the Red Lion Farm track and an unnamed north–south track. It is open access land under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000
.
, grassland
, scrub
and young woodland
. Numerous permanent or seasonal pools are scattered throughout the area.
In the areas of damp heath, the predominant species when the site was designated an SSSI in 1963 were common heather (Calluna vulgaris), cross-leaved heath
(Erica tetralix), common gorse (Ulex europaeus), western gorse (U. gallii) and purple moor-grass
(Molinia caerulea). These areas also supported bog moss
(Sphagnum). A total of 50 species of bryophyte
s have been recorded at the site, including the large white-moss (Leucobryum glaucum), which is rare in Cheshire. Other locally rare species that have been observed here include bog asphodel (Narthecium ossifragum), common lousewort (Pedicularis sylvatica) and round-leaved sundew
(Drosera rotundifolia).
The drier areas of heath have a grassy character, with typical species being matgrass
(Nardus stricta) and wavy hair-grass
(Deschampsia flexuosa). Common tormentil (Potentilla erecta), dovesfoot cranesbill
(Geranium molle), heath bedstraw
(Galium saxatile), heath milkwort
(Polygala serpyllifolia) and heath rush
(Juncus squarrosus) have also been recorded, as has the locally rare bird's-foot
(Ornithopus perpusillus) and shepherd's cress (Teesdalia nudicaulis).
During the late 20th century, the area of heathland has been substantially reduced by the encroachment of scrub, birch
, alder and willow
. The incursion of trees has caused the heath to become drier, resulting in the loss of some wet heath plants, including bog asphodel and round-leaved sundew.
habitat at Sound Heath is very diverse, ranging from small ponds and damp hollows to Sound Pond , which is nearly 60 metres in length. Water bodies are found both in the sunny open heath areas and within the woodland. As the pools result from the extraction of sand, they have a different ecology from the more common marl-pits
, as well as from the glacial kettle holes and salt-subsidence flashes of the Cheshire Plain
. Most have reached the late succession
(mature) stage. Although the encroachment of trees on the common has led to some ponds becoming infilled with leaf debris, reducing the number of permanent pools, the resultant seasonal wet areas support several rare plant species.
The pools provide a habitat for a wide range of emergent plant
s, of which the rarest is bog St John's-wort
(Hypericum elodes), previously believed to have died out in Cheshire. The locally rare floating club rush
(Eleogiton fluitans) has been recorded at the site. Other wetland species observed here include bogbean
(Menyanthes trifoliata), garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata), greater spearwort
(Ranunculus lingua), lesser celandine
(Ranunculus ficaria), marsh cinquefoil (Potentilla palustris), marsh marigold
(Caltha palustris), marsh pennywort
(Hydrocotyle vulgaris), marsh thistle
(Cirsium palustre), marsh violet
(Viola palustris), reedmace
(Typha), water violet
(Hottonia palustris) and wavy bittercress
(Cardamine flexuosa).
(Salix), with common bramble
(Rubus fruticosus) predominant in the undergrowth.
(Omphiscola glabra), Enochrus isotae species of water scavenger beetle and the great raft spider
(Dolomedes plantarius), which are rare
or endangered
in the UK, are among the many species that have been recorded in the site's ponds. Locally rare pond dwellers include the caseless caddisfly (Holocentropus stagnalis) and the diving beetle
(Hygrotus decoratus).
Dragonflies
and damselflies
are common, with 15 species recorded, two-thirds of which are known to breed here. Species include the broad-bodied chaser
(Libellula depressa), common hawker
(Aeshna juncea), emperor
(Anax imperator) and ruddy darter
(Sympetrum sanguineum), as well as the first Cheshire sighting of the migrant hawker
(Aeshna mixta).
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The beautiful snout moth
(Hypena crassalis), a scarce moth
species in the UK, has been recorded at the site. The first Cheshire sighting of the scorched carpet moth
(Ligdia adustata) was at Sound Heath, and the locally rare large nutmeg moth
(Apamea anceps) has also been observed here. The open heath and grassland forms a breeding site for the small heath butterfly
(Coenonympha pamphilus), whose numbers are declining in the UK.
Sixty species of spider
have been recorded at the site.
(Parus montanus). Among the other species that have been observed here are the moorhen
, reed bunting
, turtle dove
and willow warbler
, the tawny
, little
and barn owl
, and the greater spotted
, lesser spotted
and green woodpecker.
(Zootoca vivipara). The common newt
(Lissotriton vulgaris), common toad
(Bufo bufo) and common frog
(Rana temporaria) all inhabit the ponds, and the high insect numbers associated with the water attract bat
s, such as the common pipistrelle
(Pipistrellus pipistrellus) and common long-eared bat
(Plecotus auritus).
work at the common. The landowner is Cheshire East
unitary authority (formerly Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council
). Management includes scrub and bramble clearance, removal of saplings, gorse thinning, removal of New Zealand pondweed
from Sound Pond, maintenance of footpaths and footbridges, and removal of rubbish. Heather seeds from the Little Budworth Common SSSI
were planted in 2003.
Although in 2002/3 English Nature
recommended removing mature trees from the edges of open areas to encourage heath regeneration, SADRA considers Sound Heath to be "not just a Heathland, but a 'Mosaic' site where no one part should be extended at the expense of another without good grounds for doing so." The association's approach to tree removal has therefore been cautious, with progressive tree felling being undertaken only where beneficial effects to the site have been observed.
The site was assessed by Natural England
as in an unfavourable but stable condition in 2008, due to a reduction in heath-associated plants caused by the growth of trees and scrub. Other threats to the area include fly-tipping
, algal bloom
in the ponds, and fishing, camping and lighting fires around Sound Pond.
Facilities for visitors include a car park on Sound Lane and an interpretive sign about the common's ponds .
Common land
Common land is land owned collectively or by one person, but over which other people have certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel...
in Sound
Sound, Cheshire
Sound is a hamlet and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The hamlet is located 3¼ miles to the south west of Nantwich. The parish also includes the small settlements of Newtown and Sound Heath...
, near Nantwich
Nantwich
Nantwich is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The town gives its name to the parliamentary constituency of Crewe and Nantwich...
in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, England, which includes heathland
Heath (habitat)
A heath or heathland is a dwarf-shrub habitat found on mainly low quality acidic soils, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae. There are some clear differences between heath and moorland...
, grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
, scrub
Shrubland
Shrubland, scrubland, scrub or brush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity...
, 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...
and 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....
habitats. The majority of the area is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest
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...
and a Local Nature Reserve
Local Nature Reserve
Local nature reserve or LNR is a designation for nature reserves in the United Kingdom. The designation has its origin in the recommendations of the Wild Life Conservation Special Committee which established the framework for nature conservation in the United Kingdom and suggested a national suite...
.
One of the very few lowland heaths in Cheshire, Sound Heath is a valuable habitat for heathland plants and animals, although its heathland character is currently under threat from the spread of trees and scrub. The common's ponds form one of the most important sites in the county for freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
s. Three nationally rare
Rare species
A rare species is a group of organisms that are very uncommon or scarce. This designation may be applied to either a plant or animal taxon, and may be distinct from the term "endangered" or "threatened species" but not "extinct"....
or endangered
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
species have been found within the area: the mud snail
Omphiscola glabra
Omphiscola glabra is a species of small to medium-size, air-breathing, freshwater snail, an aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Lymnaeidae.-Distribution:This European snail can be found from southern Scandinavia to southern Spain....
, great raft spider
Great raft spider
The great raft spider or fen raft spider is a European species of spider in the Pisauridae family. Like other Dolomedes spiders, it is semi-aquatic, hunting its prey on the surface of water...
and the Enochrus isotae species of water scavenger beetle, as well as the nationally scarce beautiful snout moth
Hypena crassalis
The Beautiful Snout is a moth of the family Noctuoidea. It is found in Europe.The wingspan is 25–30 mm. The length of the forewings is 14–16 mm. The moth flies in one generation from mid May to August....
. The first sightings of the migrant hawker dragonfly
Migrant Hawker
The Migrant Hawker is one of the smaller species of hawker dragonflies. It can be found away from water but for breeding it prefers still or slow-flowing water and can tolerate brackish sites. The flight period is from July to the end of October. A. mixta occurs in North Africa, southern and...
and scorched carpet moth
Ligdia adustata
The Scorched Carpet is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found in Europe and the Near East.The wingspan is 20–25 mm. The adults fly from April to August in two generations....
in Cheshire were at Sound Heath, and many other locally rare species have been recorded here. The site is also an important breeding site for birds.
Geography and geology
Sound Heath lies on the Cheshire PlainCheshire Plain
The Cheshire Plain is a relatively flat expanse of lowland situated almost entirely within the county of Cheshire in northwest England. It is bounded by the hills of North Wales to the west, and the Peak District of Derbyshire and North Staffordshire to the east and southeast...
, 3 miles southwest of Nantwich
Nantwich
Nantwich is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The town gives its name to the parliamentary constituency of Crewe and Nantwich...
, at an average elevation of around 65 metres. The underlying geology is Keuper marl
Keuper marl
Keuper marl is the former name for a layer of mudstones and siltstones from the late Triassic period . Typically red, or occasionally...
(Mercia Mudstone Group
Mercia Mudstone Group
The Mercia Mudstone Group is a sequence of sedimentary rocks which occurs widely in the United Kingdom, consisting of beds of various mudstones, siltstones and sandstones....
), a red sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
laid down during the Triassic
Triassic
The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 250 to 200 Mya . As the first period of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic follows the Permian and is followed by the Jurassic. Both the start and end of the Triassic are marked by major extinction events...
period. Glacial sand deposition
Till
thumb|right|Closeup of glacial till. Note that the larger grains in the till are completely surrounded by the matrix of finer material , and this characteristic, known as matrix support, is diagnostic of till....
has generated a light, sandy soil which is nutrient poor. Localised sand extraction has resulted in numerous pools.
The Site of Special Scientific Interest
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...
(SSSI) of Sound Heath was designated in 1963 and occupies 4.80 Ha. The Local Nature Reserve
Local Nature Reserve
Local nature reserve or LNR is a designation for nature reserves in the United Kingdom. The designation has its origin in the recommendations of the Wild Life Conservation Special Committee which established the framework for nature conservation in the United Kingdom and suggested a national suite...
(LNR), which is named Sound Common, was designated in 1992; it is slightly smaller at 4.61 Ha. Both SSSI and LNR include two distinct sites: the larger site (3.84 Ha in the SSSI) lies between Wrenbury Heath Road–Sound Lane and the Red Lion Farm track, and is centred at around . A second smaller area (0.96 Ha) lies northeast of the main site, to the north of Wrenbury Heath Road, and is centred at around .
The common land
Common land
Common land is land owned collectively or by one person, but over which other people have certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel...
includes both SSSI/LNR sites and also extends over a larger region, including three additional areas contiguous with the larger SSSI/LNR site: north of Sound Lane, and in the triangles formed by Sound Lane, Wrenbury Heath Road and Heath View, and Wrenbury Heath Road, the Red Lion Farm track and an unnamed north–south track. It is open access land under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000
Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000
The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 is a UK Act of Parliament which came into force on 30 November 2000.As of September 2007, not all sections of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act have yet come into force...
.
Habitats
Sound Heath contains several diverse habitats: damp and dry heathlandHeath (habitat)
A heath or heathland is a dwarf-shrub habitat found on mainly low quality acidic soils, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae. There are some clear differences between heath and moorland...
, grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
, scrub
Shrubland
Shrubland, scrubland, scrub or brush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity...
and young 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...
. Numerous permanent or seasonal pools are scattered throughout the area.
Heath and grassland
Lowland heath (heathland below 300 metres elevation) is an internationally scarce habitat which is rare within Cheshire. A survey in 1995 found only 60 Ha in the administrative county, of which as little as 11 Ha were wet heath. Sound Heath is one of only four lowland heath SSSIs in the county.In the areas of damp heath, the predominant species when the site was designated an SSSI in 1963 were common heather (Calluna vulgaris), cross-leaved heath
Erica tetralix
Erica tetralix is a species of heather found in Atlantic areas of Europe, from southern Portugal to central Norway, as well as a number of boggy regions further from the coast in Central Europe. In bogs, wet heaths and damp coniferous woodland, Erica tetralix can become a dominant part of the flora...
(Erica tetralix), common gorse (Ulex europaeus), western gorse (U. gallii) and purple moor-grass
Purple Moor Grass
Molinia caerulea is a perennial grass native to Europe, west Asia, and north Africa. It grows in locations from the lowlands up to 2,300 m in the Alps. Like most grasses, it grows best in acid soils, ideally pH values of between 3.5 and 5, however, it can continue to live under more extreme...
(Molinia caerulea). These areas also supported bog moss
Sphagnum
Sphagnum is a genus of between 151 and 350 species of mosses commonly called peat moss, due to its prevalence in peat bogs and mires. A distinction is made between sphagnum moss, the live moss growing on top of a peat bog on one hand, and sphagnum peat moss or sphagnum peat on the other, the...
(Sphagnum). A total of 50 species of bryophyte
Bryophyte
Bryophyte is a traditional name used to refer to all embryophytes that do not have true vascular tissue and are therefore called 'non-vascular plants'. Some bryophytes do have specialized tissues for the transport of water; however since these do not contain lignin, they are not considered to be...
s have been recorded at the site, including the large white-moss (Leucobryum glaucum), which is rare in Cheshire. Other locally rare species that have been observed here include bog asphodel (Narthecium ossifragum), common lousewort (Pedicularis sylvatica) and round-leaved sundew
Drosera rotundifolia
Drosera rotundifolia is a species of sundew, a carnivorous plant often found in bogs, marshes and fens...
(Drosera rotundifolia).
The drier areas of heath have a grassy character, with typical species being matgrass
Nardus
Nardus is a European botanical genus belonging to the family Poaceae . The genus formerly included more species, but the only currently accepted member is Nardus stricta....
(Nardus stricta) and wavy hair-grass
Deschampsia flexuosa
-Introduction:Deschampsia flexuosa Trin. or Wavy Hair-grass is a species of bunchgrass in the Poaceae family with a Holarctic distribution.-Habitat and distribution:...
(Deschampsia flexuosa). Common tormentil (Potentilla erecta), dovesfoot cranesbill
Geranium molle
Geranium molle, the Dovesfoot Cranesbill, is an annual herbaceous plant belonging to the Geraniaceae family.-Description:Geranium molle is a small plant reaching on average in height. It is a very branched plant, quite hairy, with several ascending stems. The leaves are palmate, cut 5 to 9 times...
(Geranium molle), heath bedstraw
Galium saxatile
Galium saxatile or Heath Bedstraw is a plant species of the genus Galium. It is related to Cleavers ....
(Galium saxatile), heath milkwort
Polygala serpyllifolia
Polygala serpyllifolia is a native perennial of heaths and grassy places. Height to 25 cm. The lower leaves are in opposite pairs. Flowers May to August....
(Polygala serpyllifolia) and heath rush
Juncus
Juncus is a genus in the plant family Juncaceae. It consists of some 200 to 300 or more species of grassy plants commonly called rushes...
(Juncus squarrosus) have also been recorded, as has the locally rare bird's-foot
Ornithopus perpusillus
Ornithopus perpusillus or Bird’s-foot is a plant species of the genus Ornithopus....
(Ornithopus perpusillus) and shepherd's cress (Teesdalia nudicaulis).
During the late 20th century, the area of heathland has been substantially reduced by the encroachment of scrub, birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
, alder and willow
Willow
Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
. The incursion of trees has caused the heath to become drier, resulting in the loss of some wet heath plants, including bog asphodel and round-leaved sundew.
Wetland
The wetlandWetland
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....
habitat at Sound Heath is very diverse, ranging from small ponds and damp hollows to Sound Pond , which is nearly 60 metres in length. Water bodies are found both in the sunny open heath areas and within the woodland. As the pools result from the extraction of sand, they have a different ecology from the more common marl-pits
Clay pit
A clay pit is a quarry or mine for the extraction of clay, which is generally used for manufacturing pottery, bricks or Portland cement.The brickyard or brickworks is often located alongside the clay pit to reduce the transport costs of the raw material. These days pottery producers are often not...
, as well as from the glacial kettle holes and salt-subsidence flashes of the Cheshire Plain
Cheshire Plain
The Cheshire Plain is a relatively flat expanse of lowland situated almost entirely within the county of Cheshire in northwest England. It is bounded by the hills of North Wales to the west, and the Peak District of Derbyshire and North Staffordshire to the east and southeast...
. Most have reached the late succession
Ecological succession
Ecological succession, is the phenomenon or process by which a community progressively transforms itself until a stable community is formed. It is a fundamental concept in ecology, and refers to more or less predictable and orderly changes in the composition or structure of an ecological community...
(mature) stage. Although the encroachment of trees on the common has led to some ponds becoming infilled with leaf debris, reducing the number of permanent pools, the resultant seasonal wet areas support several rare plant species.
The pools provide a habitat for a wide range of emergent plant
Emergent plant
An emergent plant is one which grows in water but which pierces the surface so that it is partially in air. Collectively, such plants are emergent vegetation....
s, of which the rarest is bog St John's-wort
Hypericum
Hypericum is a genus of about 400 species of flowering plants in the family Hypericaceae ....
(Hypericum elodes), previously believed to have died out in Cheshire. The locally rare floating club rush
Schoenoplectus
Schoenoplectus is a genus of about 80 species of sedges with a cosmopolitan distribution. Note that the name bulrush is also applied to species in the unrelated genus Typha...
(Eleogiton fluitans) has been recorded at the site. Other wetland species observed here include bogbean
Menyanthes
Menyanthes is a monotypic genus of flowering plant in the family Menyanthaceae containing the single species Menyanthes trifoliata...
(Menyanthes trifoliata), garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata), greater spearwort
Ranunculus
Ranunculus is a large genus of about 600 species of plants in the Ranunculaceae. Members of the genus include the buttercups, spearworts, water crowfoots and the lesser celandine....
(Ranunculus lingua), lesser celandine
Lesser celandine
Lesser celandine is a low-growing, hairless perennial plant, with fleshy dark green, heart-shaped leaves. The plant is found throughout Europe and west Asia and is now introduced in North America. It prefers bare, damp ground and in the UK it is often a persistent garden weed...
(Ranunculus ficaria), marsh cinquefoil (Potentilla palustris), marsh marigold
Caltha palustris
Caltha palustris is a herbaceous perennial plant of the buttercup family, native to marshes, fens, ditches and wet woodland in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere....
(Caltha palustris), marsh pennywort
Hydrocotyle vulgaris
Hydrocotyle vulgaris, also known as Marsh Pennywort, is a small creeping perennial herb native to N. Africa, Europe, Florida, and west to the Caspian region; in Britain it is the only native Hydrocotyle....
(Hydrocotyle vulgaris), marsh thistle
Cirsium palustre
Cirsium palustre, the marsh thistle or European swamp thistle, is a herbaceous biennial species of the genus Cirsium. It is a tall thistle which reaches up to in height. The strong stems have few branches and are covered in small spines...
(Cirsium palustre), marsh violet
Viola palustris
Viola palustris is a perennial forb of the genus Viola. It inhabits moist meadows, marshes, and streambanks in northern parts of North America and Eurasia....
(Viola palustris), reedmace
Typha
Typha is a genus of about eleven species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Typhaceae. The genus has a largely Northern Hemisphere distribution, but is essentially cosmopolitan, being found in a variety of wetland habitats...
(Typha), water violet
Hottonia palustris
Hottonia palustris of the family Primulaceae is an aquatic plant-Description:This plant has a stem reaching up to 80 cm in height. Its basal roots are buried in the underlying mud while other silvery, shiny roots dangle freely in the water...
(Hottonia palustris) and wavy bittercress
Cardamine flexuosa
Cardamine flexuosa, commonly known as Wavy Bittercress, is a herbaceous annual plant of the genus Cardamine....
(Cardamine flexuosa).
Scrub and woodland
The woodland predominantly dates from the past 40 years, although there are some mature oaks and other trees. The main species are common alder (Alnus glutinosa), pedunculate oak (Quercus robur), silver birch (Betula pendula) and willowWillow
Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
(Salix), with common bramble
Blackberry
The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by any of several species in the Rubus genus of the Rosaceae family. The fruit is not a true berry; botanically it is termed an aggregate fruit, composed of small drupelets. The plants typically have biennial canes and perennial roots. Blackberries and...
(Rubus fruticosus) predominant in the undergrowth.
Invertebrates
The mature pools of Sound Heath form one of the most important sites in Cheshire for freshwater invertebrates. The mud snailOmphiscola glabra
Omphiscola glabra is a species of small to medium-size, air-breathing, freshwater snail, an aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Lymnaeidae.-Distribution:This European snail can be found from southern Scandinavia to southern Spain....
(Omphiscola glabra), Enochrus isotae species of water scavenger beetle and the great raft spider
Great raft spider
The great raft spider or fen raft spider is a European species of spider in the Pisauridae family. Like other Dolomedes spiders, it is semi-aquatic, hunting its prey on the surface of water...
(Dolomedes plantarius), which are rare
Rare species
A rare species is a group of organisms that are very uncommon or scarce. This designation may be applied to either a plant or animal taxon, and may be distinct from the term "endangered" or "threatened species" but not "extinct"....
or endangered
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
in the UK, are among the many species that have been recorded in the site's ponds. Locally rare pond dwellers include the caseless caddisfly (Holocentropus stagnalis) and the diving beetle
Hygrotus
Hygrotus is a genus of beetle in family Dytiscidae. It contains two subgenera and about 70 species, including:* Hygrotus acaroides* Hygrotus artus* Hygrotus caspius* Hygrotus chinensis...
(Hygrotus decoratus).
Dragonflies
Dragonfly
A dragonfly is a winged insect belonging to the order Odonata, the suborder Epiprocta or, in the strict sense, the infraorder Anisoptera . It is characterized by large multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong transparent wings, and an elongated body...
and damselflies
Damselfly
Damselflies are insects in the order Odonata. Damselflies are similar to dragonflies, but the adults can be distinguished by the fact that the wings of most damselflies are held along, and parallel to, the body when at rest...
are common, with 15 species recorded, two-thirds of which are known to breed here. Species include the broad-bodied chaser
Broad-bodied Chaser
The Broad-bodied Chaser, Libellula depressa, is one of the most common dragonflies in Europe and central Asia. It is very distinctive with a very broad flattened abdomen, four wing patches and, in the male, the abdomen becomes pruinose blue....
(Libellula depressa), common hawker
Common Hawker
The Common Hawker or Sedge Darner is one of the larger species of hawker dragonflies. It is native to Eurasia and northern North America. The flight period is from June to early October.It is long with a brown body...
(Aeshna juncea), emperor
Emperor (dragonfly)
The Emperor Dragonfly or Blue Emperor, Anax imperator, is a large and powerful species of hawker dragonfly of the family Aeshnidae, averaging in length. It is found mainly in Europe and nearby Africa and Asia...
(Anax imperator) and ruddy darter
Ruddy Darter
The Ruddy Darter is a European species of dragonfly of the family Libellulidae.-Description:The Ruddy Darter attains a wingspan of up to 6 cm. The head, thorax and abdomen of the male are vivid red, while the female is slightly smaller, and is a golden-yellow colour with black markings...
(Sympetrum sanguineum), as well as the first Cheshire sighting of the migrant hawker
Migrant Hawker
The Migrant Hawker is one of the smaller species of hawker dragonflies. It can be found away from water but for breeding it prefers still or slow-flowing water and can tolerate brackish sites. The flight period is from July to the end of October. A. mixta occurs in North Africa, southern and...
(Aeshna mixta).
Hypena crassalis
The Beautiful Snout is a moth of the family Noctuoidea. It is found in Europe.The wingspan is 25–30 mm. The length of the forewings is 14–16 mm. The moth flies in one generation from mid May to August....
(Hypena crassalis), a scarce moth
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
species in the UK, has been recorded at the site. The first Cheshire sighting of the scorched carpet moth
Ligdia adustata
The Scorched Carpet is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found in Europe and the Near East.The wingspan is 20–25 mm. The adults fly from April to August in two generations....
(Ligdia adustata) was at Sound Heath, and the locally rare large nutmeg moth
Apamea anceps
The Large Nutmeg is a moth of the Noctuidae family. It is found from all of Europe to Yakutia, Transbaikalia, Mongolia, Lebanon and China . It is also found in north-western Africa.The wingspan is 35–40 mm...
(Apamea anceps) has also been observed here. The open heath and grassland forms a breeding site for the small heath butterfly
Small Heath (butterfly)
The Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus is a butterfly species belonging to the family Nymphalidae, . It is widespread in Eurasia and northwestern Africa, preferring drier habitats than other Coenonymphae...
(Coenonympha pamphilus), whose numbers are declining in the UK.
Sixty species of spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
have been recorded at the site.
Birds
Sound Heath forms an important breeding site for a wide range of birds. Locally rare species include the Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) and the willow titWillow Tit
The Willow Tit is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a widespread and common resident breeder throughout temperate and subarctic Europe and northern Asia. It is more of a conifer specialist than the closely related Marsh Tit, which explains it breeding much further north...
(Parus montanus). Among the other species that have been observed here are the 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....
, reed bunting
Reed Bunting
The Reed Bunting, Emberiza schoeniclus, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae....
, turtle dove
Turtle Dove
The European Turtle Dove , also known as Turtle Dove, is a member of the bird family Columbidae, which includes the doves and pigeons.-Distribution & Status:...
and willow warbler
Willow Warbler
The Willow Warbler is a very common and widespread leaf warbler which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe and Asia, from Ireland east to the Anadyr River basin in eastern Siberia...
, the tawny
Tawny Owl
The Tawny Owl or Brown Owl is a stocky, medium-sized owl commonly found in woodlands across much of Eurasia. Its underparts are pale with dark streaks, and the upperparts are either brown or grey. Several of the eleven recognised subspecies have both variants...
, little
Little Owl
The Little Owl is a bird which is resident in much of the temperate and warmer parts of Europe, Asia east to Korea, and north Africa. It is not native to Great Britain, but was first introduced in 1842, and is now naturalised there...
and barn owl
Barn Owl
The Barn Owl is the most widely distributed species of owl, and one of the most widespread of all birds. It is also referred to as Common Barn Owl, to distinguish it from other species in the barn-owl family Tytonidae. These form one of two main lineages of living owls, the other being the typical...
, and the greater spotted
Great Spotted Woodpecker
The Great Spotted Woodpecker , Dendrocopos major, is a bird species of the woodpecker family . It is distributed throughout Europe and northern Asia, and usually resident year-round except in the colder parts of its range...
, lesser spotted
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is a member of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is assigned to the genus Dendrocopos ....
and green woodpecker.
Other animals
The heathland is a significant local habitat for the common lizardViviparous lizard
The viviparous lizard or common lizard is a Eurasian lizard. It lives farther north than any other reptile species, and most populations are viviparous , rather than laying eggs as most other lizards do.-Identification:The length of the body is less than...
(Zootoca vivipara). The common newt
Smooth Newt
The Smooth Newt, also known as the Common Newt, Lissotriton vulgaris is the most common newt species of the Lissotriton genus of amphibians. L...
(Lissotriton vulgaris), common toad
Common Toad
The common toad or European toad is an amphibian widespread throughout Europe, with the exception of Iceland, Ireland and some Mediterranean islands...
(Bufo bufo) and common frog
Common Frog
The Common Frog, Rana temporaria also known as the European Common Frog or European Common Brown Frog is found throughout much of Europe as far north as well north of the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia and as far east as the Urals, except for most of Iberia, southern Italy, and the southern Balkans...
(Rana temporaria) all inhabit the ponds, and the high insect numbers associated with the water attract bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
s, such as the common pipistrelle
Common Pipistrelle
The Common Pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus is a small pipistrelle bat whose very large range extends across most of Europe, North Africa, southwestern Asia, and possibly into Korea. It is one of the most common bat species in the British Isles....
(Pipistrellus pipistrellus) and common long-eared bat
Brown long-eared bat
The brown long-eared bat or common long-eared bat is a fairly large European bat. It has distinctive ears, long and with a distinctive fold...
(Plecotus auritus).
Management and current status
Sound Heath is managed by the Cheshire Countryside Management Service and volunteers from the Sound and District Residents Association (SADRA), which was founded in 2001 to carry out conservationConservation biology
Conservation biology is the scientific study of the nature and status of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction...
work at the common. The landowner is Cheshire East
Cheshire East
Cheshire East is a unitary authority area with borough status in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England.The borough was established in April 2009 as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England, by virtue of an order under the Local Government and Public Involvement in...
unitary authority (formerly Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council
Crewe and Nantwich
Crewe and Nantwich was, from 1974 to 2009, a local government district with borough status in Cheshire, England. It had a population of 111,007...
). Management includes scrub and bramble clearance, removal of saplings, gorse thinning, removal of New Zealand pondweed
Crassula helmsii
-Origins:Originally found in Australia and New Zealand, it has been introduced around the world. In the UK it is considered an invasive species.-Description:...
from Sound Pond, maintenance of footpaths and footbridges, and removal of rubbish. Heather seeds from the Little Budworth Common SSSI
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...
were planted in 2003.
Although in 2002/3 English Nature
English Nature
English Nature was the United Kingdom government agency that promoted the conservation of wildlife, geology and wild places throughout England between 1990 and 2006...
recommended removing mature trees from the edges of open areas to encourage heath regeneration, SADRA considers Sound Heath to be "not just a Heathland, but a 'Mosaic' site where no one part should be extended at the expense of another without good grounds for doing so." The association's approach to tree removal has therefore been cautious, with progressive tree felling being undertaken only where beneficial effects to the site have been observed.
The site was assessed by Natural England
Natural England
Natural England is the non-departmental public body of the UK government responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, freshwater and marine environments, geology and soils, are protected and improved...
as in an unfavourable but stable condition in 2008, due to a reduction in heath-associated plants caused by the growth of trees and scrub. Other threats to the area include fly-tipping
Fly-tipping
Fly-tipping is a British term for dumping waste illegally instead of in an authorised rubbish dump. It is the illegal deposit of any waste onto land, i.e...
, algal bloom
Algal bloom
An algal bloom is a rapid increase or accumulation in the population of algae in an aquatic system. Algal blooms may occur in freshwater as well as marine environments. Typically, only one or a small number of phytoplankton species are involved, and some blooms may be recognized by discoloration...
in the ponds, and fishing, camping and lighting fires around Sound Pond.
Facilities for visitors include a car park on Sound Lane and an interpretive sign about the common's ponds .