Allscott Settling Ponds

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 52.7126, -2.5920

Also within

Shropshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Unfavourable Declining (3)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SJ595128 Unfavourable Declining 15.16 2020-02-25
SJ599127 Unfavourable Declining 11.39 2020-02-25
SJ602130 Unfavourable Declining 16.56 2020-02-25

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

SpeciesSeason
curlew Breeding
curlew Wintering
golden plover Breeding
golden plover Wintering
lapwing Breeding
lapwing Wintering
little grebe Breeding
little grebe Wintering
little ringed plover Breeding
little ringed plover Wintering
mallard Breeding
mallard Wintering
redshank Breeding
redshank Wintering
reed warbler Breeding
ringed plover Breeding
ringed plover Wintering
sand martin Breeding
shoveler Breeding
shoveler Wintering
snipe Breeding
snipe Wintering
teal Breeding
teal Wintering
tufted duck Breeding
tufted duck Wintering
yellow wagtail Breeding

Description

Area, 49.9 ha. 123.3 ac. Description Allscott Settling Ponds are a series of water filled lagoons of various sizes and depths, which receive water from the adjacent sugar factory. They support a bird community of county importance. In addition to the open water habitat which occupies the settling lagoons, there are extensive areas of grassland, tall herb and scrub vegetation. The site includes a length of the River Tern. Although particularly noted for over wintering birds, Allscott Settling Ponds are also important for the diversity of the breeding population. Fifty seven species breed regularly. These include little grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis, shoveler Spatula clypeata, little ringed plover Charadrius dubius, turtle dove Streptopelia turtur, sand martin Riparia riparia, six species of warbler and yellow wagtail Motacilla flava. For reed warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus this is a locally important site. Species which breed here less regularly include redshank Tringa totanus. Regular winter visitors include twenty five species of wader and nineteen of wildfowl. The most abundant of these are lapwing Vanellus vanellus, golden plover Pluvialis apricaria, snipe Gallinago gallinago, curlew Numenius arquata, mallard Anas platyrhynchos, teal Anas crecca, shoveler and tufted duck Aythya fuligula. The bird population at this site has been studied for over twenty five years and is better known than that of any other locality in Shropshire.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites
Latin name
search with Google
IUCN / Red List Type Family
turtle dove Streptopelia turtur CR (Breeding) bird-dove columbidae
teal Anas crecca LC (NonBreeding), LC (Breeding) bird-duck anatidae
mallard Anas platyrhynchos NT (NonBreeding), LC (Breeding) bird-duck anatidae
tufted duck Aythya fuligula LC (NonBreeding), LC (Breeding) bird-duck anatidae
shoveler Spatula clypeata LC (NonBreeding), LC (Breeding) bird-duck anatidae
little grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis LC (NonBreeding), LC (Breeding) bird-grebe podicipedidae
sand martin Riparia riparia LC (Breeding) bird-martin hirundinidae
snipe Gallinago gallinago DD (NonBreeding) bird-snipe scolopacidae
little ringed plover Charadrius dubius LC (Breeding) bird-wader charadriidae
ringed plover Charadrius hiaticula VU (NonBreeding) bird-wader charadriidae
curlew Numenius arquata EN (Breeding) bird-wader scolopacidae
golden plover Pluvialis apricaria LC (NonBreeding), LC (Breeding) bird-wader charadriidae
redshank Tringa totanus EN (NonBreeding) bird-wader scolopacidae
lapwing Vanellus vanellus VU (NonBreeding), EN (Breeding) bird-wader charadriidae
yellow wagtail Motacilla flava NT (Breeding) bird-wagtail motacillidae
reed warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus LC (Breeding) bird-warbler acrocephalidae

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