Sutton and Lound Gravel Pits
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (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
| Species | Season |
|---|---|
| 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
Show the 17 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status| English name search for this in other sites |
Latin name search with Google |
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
Show 20 indicator speciesSchoenoplectus 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
Show 15 indicator speciesIsolepis 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
Show 11 indicator speciesBerula 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
Show 12 indicator speciesFontinalis 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
Show 107 indicator speciesSalix 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
Show 81 indicator speciesHedera 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
Show 49 indicator speciesHedera 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