Sutton and Lound Gravel Pits

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 53.3707, -0.9366

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (3) Unfavourable Recovering (4)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SK690834 Favourable 57.63 2009-04-14
SK695845 Favourable 20.49 2009-04-14
SK701844 Favourable 13.88 2008-08-31
SK705872 Unfavourable Recovering 63.74 2008-08-31
SK708861 Unfavourable Recovering 74.48 2008-08-31
SK709852 Unfavourable Recovering 37.59 2008-08-31
SK711869 Unfavourable Recovering 48.96 2008-08-31

Geology & landscape

Landscape processes: Fluvial

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

SpeciesSeason
gadwall Breeding
gadwall Passage
gadwall Wintering
garganey Breeding
great crested grebe Breeding
great crested grebe Wintering
lapwing Breeding
little ringed plover Breeding
little ringed plover Passage
little ringed plover Wintering
oystercatcher Breeding
oystercatcher Passage
oystercatcher Wintering
pochard Breeding
pochard Wintering
redshank Breeding
ringed plover Breeding
ringed plover Passage
ringed plover Wintering
shoveler Breeding
shoveler Wintering
tufted duck Breeding
tufted duck Wintering
wigeon Breeding
wigeon Wintering

Description

Description Sutton and Lound Gravel Pit's contains extensive areas of open water and margins which support an exceptionally rich assemblage of breeding wetland birds and a nationally important population of wintering gadwall. The site supports an exceptional diversity of breeding, wintering and passage birds. General description Situated on alluvial sands and gravels alongside the River Idle in north Nottinghamshire, this low lying gravel pit complex contains extensive areas of shallow and deep open water resulting from mineral extraction. A series of flooded lagoons occur in association with a wide range of associated naturally colonising habitat which includes sparsely vegetated gravel islands and shorelines and a diverse suite of marginal vegetation communities dominated by species such as reed mace Typha latifolia and rushes Juncus spp. In places common reed Phragmites australis forms substantial strands. A variety of aquatic plants of interest occur within the lagoons including broad leaved pondweed Potamogeton natans, fennel pondweed Potamogeton pectinatus and lesser bearded stonewort Chara curta, a charophyte with a restricted distribution across England. Around the margins of the lagoons are areas of dry open grassland, acidic scrub and wet willow dominated woodland which add to the diversity of habitat present. Associated with this range of habitat and the varied topography of the lagoons are important assemblages of breeding and wintering birds. The site is considered to be of exceptional value within the county for the variety and quality of breeding birds associated with wetland habitats. Regular breeding species include a range of ducks and grebes including shoveler, great crested grebe and tufted duck, together with species with a more restricted breeding range in the Midlands such as pochard Aythya ferina, wigeon Mareca penelope and garganey Spatula querquedula. The range of breeding wading birds such as redshank Tringa totanus and lapwing Vanellus vanellus provides added significance as these species, formerly more characteristic of wet flood plain grassland in the valley, have suffered a steady decline across the region. Bare, exposed margins and banks within the lagoons provide nesting sites for little ringed plover Charadrius dubius, oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus and ringed plover Charadrius hiaticula. In addition, the site is one of the most important localities for passage and overwintering wildfowl in the East Midlands. Whilst notable numbers of migrating birds utilise the site on spring and autumn passage including terns, gulls, waders, raptors and passerines, the lagoons are particularly significant as wildfowl refuges each winter. The site can regularly support over seventeen species of wildfowl each year. Amongst a range of ducks, swans and grebes is a nationally significant population of gadwall Mareca strepera, which occurs in numbers that regularly represent more than one percent of the total British wintering population. Other information This is a new site. The Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust currently manage part of the site as a nature reserve.

Species mentioned

English name
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Latin name
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IUCN / Red List Type Family
lesser bearded stonewort Chara curta Not listed in GB list algae green characeae
pochard Aythya ferina EN (NonBreeding), EN (Breeding) bird-duck anatidae
tufted duck Aythya fuligula LC (NonBreeding), LC (Breeding) bird-duck anatidae
wigeon Mareca penelope LC (NonBreeding), NT (Breeding) bird-duck anatidae
gadwall Mareca strepera LC (NonBreeding), LC (Breeding) bird-duck anatidae
shoveler Spatula clypeata LC (NonBreeding), LC (Breeding) bird-duck anatidae
garganey Spatula querquedula CR (Breeding) bird-duck anatidae
great crested grebe Podiceps cristatus LC (NonBreeding), VU (Breeding) bird-grebe podicipedidae
little ringed plover Charadrius dubius LC (Breeding) bird-wader charadriidae
ringed plover Charadrius hiaticula VU (NonBreeding) bird-wader charadriidae
oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus LC (Breeding) bird-wader haematopodidae
redshank Tringa totanus EN (NonBreeding) bird-wader scolopacidae
lapwing Vanellus vanellus VU (NonBreeding), EN (Breeding) bird-wader charadriidae
reedmace Typha latifolia LC bulrush typhaceae
common reed Phragmites australis LC grass poaceae
broadleaved pondweed Potamogeton natans LC herb potamogetonaceae
fennel pondweed Potamogeton pectinatus Not listed in GB list herb potamogetonaceae

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