Kempton Park Reservoirs

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Greater London CountySurrey County

Condition (Natural England)

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

Description

Description Kempton Park Reservoirs are of national importance for wintering gadwall Mareca strepera. Kempton Park Reservoirs comprises two artificially embanked basins to the northeast of Kempton Park Racecourse near Hampton. The site consists of Kempton Park East Reservoir and Red House Reservoir which lie within the operational boundary of Kempton Waterworks. In addition to the nationally important numbers of gadwall, the site also supports significant numbers of wintering shoveler Spatula clypeata. Kempton Park East Reservoir was constructed in 1906 but has been redundant since 1980. In 1982 the reservoir was drained but continued to hold a residual amount of water, supplemented by rainfall. In 1996 part of the earth and clay embankment was removed to ensure compliance with maximum water volumes for redundant reservoirs under The Reservoirs Act. Kempton Park East Reservoir has been actively managed as a nature reserve since 1996 when substantial works aimed at protecting and improving habitats for wetland bird species were begun under a planning agreement with the local authority. These included the creation of refuge islands, deep water channels and reed beds within the basin. Regular breeding waders on the East Reservoir include lapwing Vanellus vanellus, redshank Tringa totanus, ringed plover Charadrius hiaticula and little ringed plover Charadrius dubius. Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta bred on the East Reservoir in 1996. This represented the first successful inland breeding of this species in the British Isles. A wide range of passage birds, including smew Mergellus albellus, garganey Spatula querquedula, Temminck’s stint Calidris temminckii, spotted crake Porzana porzana and red necked phalarope Phalaropus lobatus, have been recorded in recent years. Red House Reservoir is the smaller of the two reservoirs. It remains operational as a water storage facility and is fed by the Staines Reservoirs Aqueduct. The secluded wooded setting of Red House Reservoir is particularly favoured by feeding bats and the site supports Noctule Nyctalus noctula serotine Eptesicus serotinus Daubenton’s bat Myotis daubentonii and pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus. Other mammals include water vole. Reptiles and amphibians present include populations of grass snake Natrix natrix palmate newt Lissotriton helveticus smooth newt Lissotriton vulgaris common frog Rana temporaria and common toad Bufo bufo.

Species mentioned