North Killingholme Haven Pits

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 53.6615, -0.2357

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Lincolnshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Unfavourable No Change (1) Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
TA163196 — Unfavourable No Change 5.55 2017-03-02
TA166197 — Favourable 16.08 2018-06-26

Climate exposure

This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.

Coastal

Coastal habitats are exposed to sea-level rise and storm erosion. Where hard sea defences sit behind them, there's nowhere landward to retreat to — a squeeze that keeps compressing the habitat no matter how well it's managed.

Habitats

Mixed scrub, Montane scrub

Geology & landscape

Landscape processes: Coastal

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

SpeciesSeason
redshank Breeding
redshank Roosting
redshank Wintering
reed warbler Breeding
reed warbler Roosting
sedge warbler Breeding
sedge warbler Roosting
sedge warbler Wintering

Description

Description North Killingholme Haven Pit's are situated adjacent to the Humber Estuary near Immingham on the south bank. The main reasons for notification of these pits are their importance as large saline lagoons with an exceptionally rich fauna and their significance as roosting and feeding grounds for waterfowl, which occur in internationally important numbers in the Humber Estuary in winter. The site comprises three pits of differing size and salinity, both factors, which contribute to its national and local importance. Nine species of specialist lagoonal species recorded from the pits include the polychaete worm Alkmaria romijni, which is known from just four sites in great Britain. Other species of note include the prawn Palaemon varians, the molluscs Hydrobia ventrosa and Hydrobia neglectand the bryzoan Conopeum seurati. The number of specialist lagoonal species is exceptionally high in North Killingholme Haven Pit's and particularly so for their latitude. Water levels within the lagoons vary and provide expanses of open mud for visiting waterfowl, especially waders. Amongst these are nationally important numbers of black-tailed godwits , which have visited the site in increasing numbers since the late 1980’s. There are also occasional visits by large flocks of roosting redshank. These visitors indicate that North Killingholme Haven Pits form an integral part of the estuarine feeding and roosting opportunities for the internationally important populations of winter waterfowl for which the Humber Estuary is noted. The lagoons are fringed with common reed Phragmites australis and sea club rush Bolboschoenus maritimus and this fringe provide valuable feeding and breeding grounds fora range of summer migrants such as reed warbler and sedge warbler. The seed heads of the reeds are also a food supply for bearded tit, which occur along the Humber Estuary in nationally important numbers. bittern are also regular winter visitors. The site is fringed in places with thick hawthorn scrub which also provides important bird habitat, including a roost of up to five long eared owls which also breed here and are of particular local importance.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
Phalacrocorax aristotelis Not listed in GB list bird phalacrocoracidae
bittern Botaurus stellaris VU (NonBreeding), NT (Breeding) bird-heron ardeidae
bearded tit Panurus biarmicus LC (Breeding) bird-tit panuridae
redshank Tringa totanus EN (NonBreeding) bird-wader scolopacidae
sedge warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus LC (Breeding) bird-warbler acrocephalidae
reed warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus LC (Breeding) bird-warbler acrocephalidae
bryozoan Conopeum seurati Not listed in GB list bryozoan electridae
crustacean Palaemon varians Not listed in GB list crustacean palaemoninae
common reed Phragmites australis LC grass poaceae
water snail Hydrobia ventrosa Not listed in GB list mollusc hydrobiidae
sea club rush Bolboschoenus maritimus LC sedge cyperaceae

Plant communities

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