Foxcote Reservoir and Wood

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 52.0238, -0.9647

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1) Unfavourable Recovering (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SP711364 Favourable 30.97 2009-10-28
SP711370 Unfavourable Recovering 18.72 2009-10-28

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

SpeciesSeason
goldeneye Wintering
goosander Wintering
pintail Wintering
pochard Wintering
shoveler Wintering
teal Wintering
wigeon Wintering

Description

Area, 48.32 hectares 119.39 ac Description An unpolluted eutrophic freshwater reservoir of particular importance for overwintering wildfowl, surrounded by semi improved meadows and bordered to the north by mixed deciduous woodland. The reservoir was completed in 1956 by damming a small tributary of the River great Ouse and it quickly became a notable site for wintering wildfowl in north Bucks. At least ten species are regular visitors between September and March and numbers of shoveler duck and Bewick swan have reached one percent of the total GB wintering populations. Others are goosander, teal, wigeon, pintail, pochard and goldeneye ducks. The gradual colonisation of the lake by freshwater plants such as horned pondweed Zannichellia palustris and a rich spectrum of aquatic animal life are of considerable ecological interest. Marginal vegetation, including emergent reed mace Typha latifolia and great pond sedge Carex riparia, strand line plants such as celery leaved crowfoot Ranunculus sceleratus and the local sticky groundsel Senecio viscosus, lakeside brambles and scrub of willows Salix fragilis and S. alba and grey poplar Populus candicans, as well as the meadows, provide additional habitats for breeding birds. The meadows themselves harbour a number of plant species which, because of modern intensive management techniques, are no longer commonly found in permanent grassland. Examples are meadow barley Hordeum secalinum, yellow rattle Rhinanthus minor, dropwort Filipendula vulgaris and lady’s bedstraw Galium verum. The woodland, which lies on heavy clay, is irregularly structured and has received minimal management for many years, other than the clearing of rides for game and the establishment of a small area of Norway spruce. Dominant trees include pedunculate oak, ash and field maple, with wild cherry and birch and an understorey of hazel, hawthorn, blackthorn, sallow, goat willow and honeysuckle. The ground flora contains bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta, primrose Primula vulgaris and dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis, as well as giant fescue and hairy brome Schedonorus giganteus and Bromus ramosa, remote and wood sedges Carex remota and C. sylvatica and woodruff Galium odoratum. Of particular interest are the greater butterfly orchid Platanthera chlorantha and herb paris Paris quadrifolia. A number of ponds have been created in the wood and here lesser spearwort Ranunculus flammula, bulrush Schoenoplectus lacustris and mare's tail Hippuris vulgaris have established, the last in one of its very few north Bucks localities.

Species mentioned

English name
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Latin name
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IUCN / Red List Type Family
pintail Anas acuta EN (NonBreeding), CR (Breeding) bird-duck anatidae
teal Anas crecca LC (NonBreeding), LC (Breeding) bird-duck anatidae
pochard Aythya ferina EN (NonBreeding), EN (Breeding) bird-duck anatidae
goldeneye Bucephala clangula VU (NonBreeding), VU (Breeding) bird-duck anatidae
wigeon Mareca penelope LC (NonBreeding), NT (Breeding) bird-duck anatidae
goosander Mergus merganser LC (NonBreeding) bird-duck anatidae
shoveler Spatula clypeata LC (NonBreeding), LC (Breeding) bird-duck anatidae
reedmace Typha latifolia LC bulrush typhaceae
hairy brome Bromus ramosa Not listed in GB list grass poaceae
meadow barley Hordeum secalinum LC grass poaceae
giant fescue Schedonorus giganteus LC grass poaceae
dropwort Filipendula vulgaris LC herb rosaceae
woodruff Galium odoratum LC herb rubiaceae
lady's bedstraw Galium verum LC herb rubiaceae
mare's tail Hippuris vulgaris LC herb plantaginaceae
bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta LC herb liliaceae
dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis LC herb euphorbiaceae
herb paris Paris quadrifolia VU herb melanthiaceae
greater butterfly orchid Platanthera chlorantha NT herb orchidaceae
primrose Primula vulgaris LC herb primulaceae
lesser spearwort Ranunculus flammula DD herb ranunculaceae
celery leaved buttercup Ranunculus sceleratus LC herb ranunculaceae
yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor DD herb orobanchaceae
sticky ragwort Senecio viscosus Not listed in GB list herb asteraceae
horned pondweed Zannichellia palustris VU herb zannichelliaceae
remote sedge Carex remota LC sedge cyperaceae
greater pond sedge Carex riparia LC sedge cyperaceae
common club rush Schoenoplectus lacustris LC sedge cyperaceae
balm of Gilead Populus candicans Not listed in GB list tree salicaceae
crack willow Salix fragilis Not listed in GB list tree shrub salicaceae

Plant communities

A9 — Fast flowing river and stream, Marginal and inundation, Pond ditch and canal, Sluggish river and stream

Potamogeton natans community

Schoenoplectus lacustris, Juncus bulbosus, Sparganium angustifolium, Sparganium erectum, Sparganium minimum, Alisma plantago-aquatica, Lobelia dortmanna, Equisetum fluviatile, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Elodea canadensis, Lemna minor, Lemna trisulca, Nymphaea alba, Callitriche platycarpa, Callitriche stagnalis, Littorella uniflora, Potamogeton natans, Ranunculus trichophyllus, Glyceria fluitans, Chara subspinosa

A14 — Fast flowing river and stream

Myriophyllum alterniflorum community

Isolepis fluitans, Juncus bulbosus, Fontinalis antipyretica, Lobelia dortmanna, Equisetum fluviatile, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Lemna minor, Callitriche stagnalis, Littorella uniflora, Potamogeton filiformis, Potamogeton gramineus, Potamogeton natans, Ranunculus peltatus, Chara spp., Nitella hyalina

A17 — Chalk river and stream, Fast flowing river and stream

Ranunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans community

Berula erecta, Nasturtium officinale, Elodea canadensis, Lemna minor, Callitriche stagnalis, Veronica beccabunga, Polygonum amphibium, Polygonum hydropiper, Potamogeton crispus, Potamogeton pectinatus, Ranunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans

A18 — Fast flowing river and stream

Ranunculus fluitans community

Fontinalis antipyretica, Fontinalis squamosa var. curnowii, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Myriophyllum spicatum, Elodea canadensis, Mentha aquatica, Lemna gibba, Lemna minor, Potamogeton perfoliatus, Ranunculus fluitans, Glyceria fluitans, Phalaris arundinacea

W20 — Montane scrub

Salix lapponum-Luzula sylvatica scrub

Salix arbuscula, Salix cinerea, Salix lapponum, Salix myrsinites, Salix phylicifolia, Salix reticulata, Empetrum nigrum, Calluna vulgaris, Salix lanata, Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium uliginosum, Carex atrata, Carex bigelowii, Carex binervis, Carex flacca, Luzula multiflora, Luzula sylvatica, Huperzia selago, Selaginella selaginoides, Aulacomnium palustre, Mnium hornum, Philonotis fontana, Plagiomnium undulatum, Rhizomnium punctatum, Dicranum bonjeanii, Dicranum majus, Dicranum scoparium, Fissidens adianthoides, Racomitrium lanuginosum, Calliergonell cuspidatum, Ctenidium molluscum, Hylocomium splendens, Hypnum callichroum, Hypnum cupressiforme, Palustriella commutatum, Plagiothecium denticulatum, Plagiothecium undulatum, Pleurozium schreberi, Ptilium crista-castrensis, Rhytidiadelphus loreus, Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, Sanionia uncinata, Scorpidium revolvens, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Polytrichastrum alpinum, Sphagnum capillifolium, Sphagnum fallax, Sphagnum girgensohnii, Sphagnum palustre, Sphagnum russowii, Sphagnum squarrosum, Sphagnum subnitens, Sphagnum teres, Barbilophozia barbata, Chiloscyphus polyanthos, Diplophyllum albicans, Lophocolea bidentata, Plagiochila porelloides, Ptilidium ciliare, Scapania undulata, Cladonia squamosa, Peltigera canina, Angelica sylvestris, Caltha palustris, Hieraclium spp., Saussurea alpina, Solidago virgaurea, Campanula rotundifolia, Succisa pratensis, Valeriana officinalis, Rhodiola rosea, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Thymus praecox, Epilobium anagallidifolium, Dactylorhiza viridis, Euphrasia officinalis, Rhinanthus minor, Oxalis acetosella, Oxyria digyna, Polygonum viviparum, Rumex acetosa, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus acris, Thalictrum alpinum, Alchemilla alpina, Alchemilla glabra, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum rivale, Galium boreale, Galium saxatile, Saxifraga aizoides, Saxifraga hypnoides, Saxifraga oppositifolia, Saxifraga stellaris, Viola riviniana, Agrostis canina, Agrostis capillaris, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Deschampsia cespitosa, Deschampsia flexuosa, Festuca ovina, Festuca rubra, Nardus stricta, Dryopteris dilatata, Phegopteris connectilis

W21 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Crataegus monogyna-Hedera helix scrub

Hedera helix, Salix cinerea, Acer pseudoplatanus, Ilex aquifolium, Betula pendula, Corylus avellana, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Malus sylvestris, Sorbus aria, Taxus baccata, Ulmus glabra, Ulmus procera, Sambucus nigra, Viburnum lantana, Euonymus europaeus, Cornus sanguinea, Juniperus communis, Ligustrum vulgare, Clematis vitalba, Rhamnus cathartica, Crataegus laevigata, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Juncus effusus, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Kindbergia praelonga, Rhynchostegium confertum, Tamus communis, Heracleum sphondylium, Torilis japonica, Arum maculatum, Arctium minus, Cirsium arvense, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Stellaria graminea, Stellaria holostea, Stellaria media agg., Calystegia sepium, Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Iris foetidissima, Glechoma hederacea, Lamium purpureum, Origanum vulgare, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Allium ursinum, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Circaea lutetiana, Rumex sanguineus, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus repens, Fragaria vesca, Geum urbanum, Potentilla sterilis, Poterium sanguisorba, Rosa arvensis, Rosa canina, Rubia peregrina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Anisantha sterilis, Arrhenatherum elatius, Brachypodium pinnatum, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Bromopsis erecta, Dactylis glomerata, Elytrigia repens, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris filix-mas

W22 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Prunus spinosa-Rubus fruticosus scrub

Hedera helix, Acer campestre, Corylus avellana, Ulex europaeus, Prunus spinosa, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Eurhynchium striatum, Kindbergia praelonga, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Lophocolea bidentata, Achillea millefolium, Cardamine flexuosa, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Silene uniflora, Stellaria media agg., Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Oxalis acetosella, Digitalis purpurea, Plantago lanceolata, Veronica chamaedrys, Armeria maritima, Rumex acetosa, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum urbanum, Rosa canina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris borreri, Dryopteris filix-mas