Local information

Abberton Bakethin Balderhead Blackton Burnhope Catcleugh Colt Crag Cow Green Davy Down Derwent Fontburn Grassholme Hallington Hanningfield Horning Marsh Farm Hury Kielder Water Lockwood Beck Lound Scaling Dam Selset Trinity Broads Tunstall Waskerly, Smiddyshaw, Hisehope Whittle Dene

Abberton reservoir

The reservoir has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a  Special Protection Area and a Ramsar Site (Wetland of International Importance).  The site occupies 1000 hectares, of which 490 hectares are covered by water and the reservoir is a major stopping-off point for migrating wildfowl.  It regularly supports over 20,000 wildfowl with numbers of Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Shoveler and Coot having in recent winters, equalled or exceeded 1% of the total north-west European wintering population.  Also notable is a breeding colony of over 400 pairs of cormorant – around 5% of the British breeding population.

Essex Wildlife Trust runs a visitor centre a Abberton and a purpose-made nature reserve.  Essex & Suffolk Water funds a warden to manage the site.  Bird hides and nature trails have been set out and some coarse fishing takes place from one bank of the reservoir.  The nature reserve has been specifically planted and maintained to suit small birds.

The site has been extensively surveyed and we are advised by Essex Wildlife Trust in our management of the site.

Bakethin

Site designations

Within Border Forest Park.  Also company designated nature reserve.

Location
Bakethin lies upstream of Kielder Reservoir, separated by a weir.  Take the B6260 from Bellingham and go past Kielder.

Access & facilities
A self-guided trail leaves the car park near Butteryhaugh Bridge.  There are displays which explain the conservation interest in the information centre at Leaplish.  Fishing is not permitted at Bakethin. 

Site
Bakethin was created in 1979 with the construction of a dam across the North Tyne, near the now submerged Bakethin farm, flooding part of the valley upstream.  The top water level of the reservoir lies at an altitude of 170 metres.  Bakethin was developed  as a special nature conservation area within the larger Kielder Water scheme.  Controlled by Bakethin Weir, a constant water level is maintained, regardless of the fluctuating water level in Kielder, and the reservoir functions like a natural lake, this regime results in an ideal site for wildlife.
 
Northumbrian Water has carried out various conservation projects at Bakethin, including the installation of a bird hide that allows the public close-up views of the reserve and the construction of artificial islands near the south bank of the reservoir to encourage nesting wildfowl and otters.  Fishing has been prohibited since 1992  and the reservoir is now largely undisturbed.

Habitats
The northern spike rush is a particularly interesting species that grows on the margins of Bakethin, to the south of the viaduct.  This unobtrusive rarity is found only at a few sites and is by far our most notable plant and every effort is being made to conserve it.

The most interesting grassland flora occurs on the western half of the north shore, south of the old railway line.  This section has several areas of damp meadow grassland with characteristic species as melancholy thistle, wood cranesbill, wood avens, valerian, marsh ragwort and yellow rattle.

The calcareous flushes are, both botanically and aesthetically one of the most important features of the conservation area.  They support less common plant species including early marsh orchid, fragrant orchid, grass of parnassus, few-flowered spike-rush, marsh valerian and butterwort.

Broad-leaved woodland is an extremely diverse wildlife habitat and at Bakethin it has grown up naturally beside the watercourses and along the old railway.  The dominant tree species is birch, but several other native trees and shrubs such as alder, willow, aspen, wild cherry and hawthorn are also present. The existing woodland has recently been supplemented by planting small areas of oak and rowan.

The coniferous plantations surrounding Bakethin are composed mainly of norway spruce, with smaller blocks of scots pine and sitka spruce.  Most of these trees are at least fifty-five years old and in the normal course of events would have been felled for pulp or building timber.  Since the plantations at Bakethin are now being managed with nature conservation in mind, some of these trees are being deliberately left to grow to 'biological maturity'.

Birds
The bird hide, with disabled access, offers the best view of the site.  The footpath along the northern shore and viaduct also offers a good vantage point for bird watching.

Wildfowl are best viewed during the winter months.  Common visitors include diving duck such as Pochard, Tufted Duck and Goldeneye, Goosander and Dabblers such as Mallard and Teal.  Early and late in the year there are sightings of Whooper Swans, Barnacle Geese and Pink-footed Geese en route to or from the Arctic.  The more unusual species to be recorded here are Bittern, Slavonian Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Long-tailed Duck, and Smew.

The spring is an excellent time to observe birds of prey.  In March the resident goshawks may be seen soaring over the forest whilst in May osprey may prove a highlight.  Sparrowhawk and kestrel are the common hawks of the border hills, but there are peregrine about too and the chance to see hen harrier or merlin passing through to their moorland nest sites.  Tawny owls are numerous and are currently the subject of a special study.

April sees the arrival of the first swallows, followed by other migrants including cuckoo.  In the forest, green and great-spotted woodpeckers can be heard and tree pipits may be seen displaying.  At dusk and dawn in late spring and summer the reeling song of grasshopper warblers may be heard around Bakethin.  In the summer spotted flycatcher, wood warbler and redstart join other passerines like chaffinch and robin. 
Siskin and Redpoll are common breeding species, relying on seeds.  The other special bird of the forest is the crossbill, which nests very early in the year and is dependent on spruce seeds.  On the river and reservoir shore, Common Sandpiper and Oystercatcher nest on the pebbles, while dippers and grey wagtails make use of nooks and crannies on steep or overhanging banks.  On the water, families of Great-crested Grebe and Mallard appear whilst Goosander and other species such as Teal and Tufted Duck keep their broods well hidden in the reeds and up the inflow streams.  It is hoped that Goldeneye may one day breed on the reservoir.

The autumn is migration time and almost any bird species may turn up; with Ospreys returning south, Shelduck moving through and the eventual arrival of over wintering fieldfare and redwing.

Other wildlife
We created three permanent islands at Bakethin in 1992 by lowering the water level and importing local stone.  One island is topped with silt and has grown enough scrub to provide cover for nesting ducks.  Another was topped with pebbles for wading birds such as common sandpiper and oystercatcher and an otter holt was constructed on the third island to encourage otters to breed at Bakethin.

Northumberland is one of the few counties in England with a healthy otter population and Northumbrian Water, in collaboration with other local conservation agencies, recently funded a study to confirm that otters are now regularly using Bakethin.    The North Tyne with Bakethin and a host of interconnected burns and backwaters is a primary area in their conservation.  The best evidence that otters are once again using the area is their footprints and droppings (known as spraints).  Spraints are used as territorial markers at strategic points, such as rocks or the base of trees.  The scent is very distinctive, like cod-liver-oil and musk, and acts either as an invitation or as a warning to other otters. 

Fox and stoat are common, as are roe deer and badgers.   Red squirrel may be found in the Scots pine plantations next to Bakethin and there are even records of the rare pine marten.  During the summer, pipistrelle bats may be seen feeding around the car park just below the viaduct and over the Deepwater Burn and bats may be using the bat boxes located around the car park. 

The shallow margins of Bakethin also offer valuable spawning grounds for the common frog and smooth newt and it also has a healthy fish population including trout, minnow, eels and stoneloach. Adder and common lizard have also been recorded around the site.  Two ponds created near the viaduct also provide excellent habitat for amphibians and dragonflies.   

As June gives way to July the ringlet butterfly may be found in the woodland rides and glades next to Bakethin where blackberry is the favoured nectar source.  During the summer, other common butterflies such as large white, small white, green-veined white, orange tip, small copper, peacock and meadow brown may also be seen in the grasslands around the site.

A guide to work taking place at Bakethin Dam in 2007 can be downloaded here. 

Balderhead

Site designations

Within North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Location
Situated at the head of Baldersdale.  Best approached from Romaldkirk village on the B6277.

Access & facilities
Car parks at either end of dam wall. A public footpath runs along the shoreline and the Pennine Way crosses Blackton Bridge at the eastern end; this is the halfway point of this famous 250-mile route from Derbyshire to Scotland.

Site
Balderhead was built in 1965 at an altitude of 330 metres.  High in the upper reaches of Baldersdale, the site is surrounded by open moorland.  The reservoir is fed by numerous small streams flowing off the adjacent peaty moorlands.  This results in the relatively large water body being nutrient poor and dystrophic (peat stained).  It also experiences severe draw down in the summer months, which poses a major problem for breeding birds and restricts the growth of shoreline plants.

Habitats
Unimproved acid grassland, both wet and dry, forms the majority of the habitats around Balderhead.  The dry acid grassland is dominated by wavy hair-grass, sheep's fescue and common bent, whilst heath rush characterises the wet grassland. Semi-improved neutral grasslands occasionally occurs. And has a sward that is dominated by a mixture of crested dog’s tail, sweet vernal-grass and common bent

The steep sides of the gills, which are less intensively grazed, retain an element of moorland flora such as heather and bilberry, whilst flushes dominated by sharp-flowered rush and mosses occur in the gill bottoms.  Scattered scrub of mainly birch and rowan also can be seen.

An area of degraded blanket bog with cotton-grass, heath rush, bog moss and heather occurs on the slopes of Broad Shaw on either side of the burn. 
 
We have planted a small number of sycamore, wych elm, scots pine and ash on the northern side of the reservoir.  Remnant juniper scrub may be found on the banks of Hunder Beck and up until 1998 it was subject to intensive sheep grazing.  However, in 1998 we planted 250 new juniper bushes and excluded stock, thereby ensuring the survival of this scarce habitat which is declining else where in the Pennine Dales.

Birds
Mallard regularly visit Balderhead in the winter. The number of recorded Wigeon using this site in winter has remained stable since the 1970s.  A small number of Tufted Duck, Goldeneye, Teal, Cormorant and Goosander have been seen infrequently since the mid 1970s.  Canada Geese started visiting Balderhead in the late 1970s.

During the autumn and winter Black-headed, Great black-backed and Lesser Black-backed Gulls have been recorded roosting on Balderhead together with Whooper Swans and White-fronted Geese.

The surrounding grassland forms important feeding areas (March-June) for waders such as Curlew, Redshank, Golden Plover and Snipe, which breed on the surrounding moorland.  Common Sandpiper and Oystercatcher breed along the reservoir margins.  A small Black Grouse occurs in the fields on the north side of the reservoir and both merlin and kestrel may be seen hunting over the surrounding moorland in the summer months.

Other wildlife
Fish species including minnow and bullhead have been recorded.

Blackton

Site designations

Within North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Location
Blackton nestles between Balderhead and Hury, and is best approached as for Hury from either Romaldkirk or Cotherstone on the B6277.  From Hury South abutment car park continue west and reach Blackton through a large steel gate on the right (signed) along a gravel road.

Access & facilities
There is a car park on the north side of the dam.  Blackton has a nature reserve, overlooked by a bird hide and there is a lovely walk around its shore.  The Pennine Way crosses Blackton Bridge at the western end, which is the halfway point of this famous 250 mile route from Derbyshire to Scotland.

Site
Blackton is the shallowest of the Teesdale reservoirs and was built in 1896 at an altitude of 270 metres.  We established the western end of the reservoir as a nature reserve in 1990 to protect the inflow end of the reservoir in recognition of its value for wildfowl, which seek refuge here in the marshy areas adjacent to the stream.  Blackton is also designated by Durham County Council as a County Wildlife Site.

The best place to view the site is from the bird hide on the north bank below Birk Hat farm; the one time home of Hannah Hauxwell, a Teesdale lady made famous after the BBC documentary about the way she managed her traditional upland farm.  The adjacent fields 'Hannah's Meadows' are now designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and are managed by Durham Wildlife Trust, which has converted a stone barn into a small interpretive centre.

Habitats
Acid grassland is the main habitat around the reservoir.  The grassland is dominated by sheep's fescue, wavy hair-grass and common bent with the occasional herbs such as tormentil, birds foot trefoil and germander speedwell.

The grassland by Birk Hat farm is slightly neutral in character; here meadow foxtail occurs with crested dog’s-tail and sweet vernal-grass.  Characteristic woodland herbs such as bluebell, wood anemone and wood sorrel are scattered in the grassland, which is indicative of a former woodland cover.  The adjacent farmland forms Hannah's Meadows.  These upland hay meadows are characteristic of the North Pennines and contain unusual plants such as globe flower, wood anemone, ragged robin, frog orchid and the rare adder's-tongue fern.

Semi-natural woodland is still present around the steep-sided gills with birch, rowan, goat willow and hawthorn the main species present.  Sheep grazing limits the ground flora of these woodlands.

Birds
The variety of wildlife habitats around this site, such as the wooded inlets, grassland and open water, results in a long bird list for such a marginal upland area.  The passerines associated with Blackton include Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Blackbird and Great Tit; species associated with the woodland/scrub areas.  Wheatear, Skylark and Meadow Pipit can be seen or heard in the grassland areas.  Coot, Moorhen, Sedge Warbler and Reed Bunting nest at the western end of the reservoir, however, the numbers of breeding birds at the site are small due mainly to the comparatively small land holding associated with the reservoir.  The reservoir acts as a focal point for birds which breed in the surrounding area.

Heron and a variety of waders including Oystercatcher, Snipe, Redshank and Curlew visit the site to feed especially when the muddy margins are exposed through water draw down, particularly at the western end.  Common sandpiper breed on the reservoir margins and Kingfisher frequent the Hunder Beck.  Blackton is an important gathering area for pre and post-breeding wildfowl and waders that breed in the surrounding area.  Wildfowl also visit the reservoir during the winter months, in small numbers and in bad winters black grouse are known come down to feed on the birch on the south and western end of the reservoir. 

Other wildlife
The reservoir is stocked with rainbow trout; brown trout and loach naturally occur.  Bats have been seen around the house at Birk Hat farm though a bat survey carried out on our behalf in 1999 was unable to confirm if the house was being used as a roost.  There are other farm buildings and houses in the vicinity that could be roost sites, but these are away from the reservoir.  Bats have been recorded feeding around the trees next to the reservoir.

Burnhope

Site designations

Within North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Location
In the heart of the Durham Dales, accessed from the villages of Ireshopeburn and Wearhead.

Access & facilities
Car park with toilets; a disabled access public footpath follows the north shore of the reservoir.  A new wetland with viewing hide has just been created on the site of the old treatment works with an adjacent layby.

Site
Burnhope is not used to any great extent by birds, in part owing to its altitude of 398 metres above sea level.  It was constructed in 1936.  In severe winters the use of the reservoir by birds is restricted because the reservoir freezes over.  The reservoir is also subject to severe summer draw down of approximately twenty five metres, which greatly reduces the area of water at the top end of the reservoir where birds are most likely to find sanctuary from disturbance by shore anglers.

Habitats
The reservoir is largely surrounded by sitka spruce plantations and is therefore considered to be of low conservation value.  There are however plans to gradually clear these plantations and replace with native broadleaved woodland.  The inundation community found at the western end of Burnhope is of particular note due to the presence of the nationally scarce thread rush and more common species such as marsh cudweed and sneezewort.

Below the dam is a large area of poor semi-improved acid grassland dominated by crested dog’s-tail with some mat grass and fescues. The narrow boundary between the plantation and the reservoir is occupied by a neutral grassland co-dominated by false oat grass and cock’s-foot.

Birds
Small numbers of wildfowl are present at Burnhope in the winter, the most significant being mallard and small flocks of up to 20 teal and 5 goosander.  Waders occasionally roost here and an assortment of regionally uncommon species such as pintail, gadwall, barnacle goose, shoveler and wood sandpiper pass through Burnhope on passage to and from their summer breeding grounds.  Black-headed Gulls roost on the reservoir and peaks of up to 250 birds have been recorded in March and April.

Redpoll, Goldcrest, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Chaffinch and Robin breed in the coniferous woodlands and there is a large heronry present.   Characteristic upland grassland birds such as wheatear and meadow pipit have been recorded in the grassland to the west of Burnhope and Black Grouse are known to lek (display) and nest on the surrounding moorland.  Curlew, Lapwing, Redshank and Snipe are also known to nest on the adjacent farmland.

Other wildlife
Common lizard and brown trout have been recorded.  A few common British butterflies may be seen flying over the grasslands during the summer such as large white, small white, green-veined white, orange tip, common blue, red admiral, small tortoiseshell, peacock, meadow brown and small heath.

Catcleugh

Site designations

Site of Nature Conservation Importance.

Location
Adjacent to the A68 Corbridge to Jedburgh road.

Access & facilities
Car park and layby’s along A68. This reservoir is used for fishing (by permit only) and is leased to the Catcleugh Angler’s Association. You can obtain a fishing permit by contacting Northumbrian Water’s Leisure Department.

Site
The area in which Catcleugh is situated is primarily upland rough grazing for sheep and cattle with a small number of enclosed grass fields on the southern edge of the site.  The moorlands around this reservoir are notified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of the mosaic of heather and upland grassland and Catcleugh is also a designated Site of Nature Conservation Importance that forms part of the River Rede wildlife corridor. The reservoir was built in 1905 at an altitude of 250 metres.  The reservoir is surrounded by woodlands that contribute to the extensive area of conifer plantations in this part of the Border Uplands.

Habitats
The plantation woods north and south of the reservoir are predominantly Scots pine and Norway spruce with a mixture of beech and birch.  The field layer between groups of trees on the northern shore comprise grasses such as cock’s foot, false oat grass and tufted hair grass and flowering plants such as creeping thistle, meadow buttercup and common valerian.  Marsh thistle, meadow sweet and soft rush occur in the wetter areas and in the late summer and autumn, various fungi may be found such as bay bolete, saffron milk-cap and sickener.  The field layer on the southern shore contains mostly mosses and grasses and is dominated by wavy hair grass with ferns such as hard fern, male fern and bracken.  Many of the conifers on the River Rede have recently been felled and the ground has been planted with mixed broadleaved trees. 
Flowering plants are more diverse where the ground is wetter and include locally abundant meadowsweet with marsh thistle, fen bedstraw, common valerian, water avens, angelica, lady’s smock, sneezewort and lesser spearwort.

During the summer, the dam wall is extremely colourful because this area has been colonised by a variety of grasses including wavy hairgrass and yorkshire fog as well as flowering plants such as ox-eye daisy, orange hawkweed, ribwort plantain, lady’s mantle, lady’s bedstraw, herb robert, selfheal and thyme.

There are vast areas of swamp vegetation growing in the meanders created by the River Rede.  These areas are dominated by reed grass with small patches of lesser pond sedge, marsh horsetail and corn mint.  Sharp-flowered rush can also be found on the margins. 

Birds
The higher moorlands around Catcleugh are home to a breeding community of golden plover and dunlin, whilst common sandpiper, ring ouzel, wheatear and whinchat occur on the lower moors.  Lapwing, redshank, oystercatcher and curlew breed on the moorland fringe and black grouse are occasionally recorded.  Osprey are known to have used this site for roosting, buzzards are increasingly regular visitors and there are occasional records of Golden Eagle.

The main bird species associated with the coniferous plantations are crossbill, coal tit and siskin.  Long-eared owls have also been recorded in these woods and in 1954 we had a very unusual visitor - a parrot crossbill!.  Golden eagle occasionally wander over the border from Scotland to hunt in the area.

The reservoir has attracted a variety of other unusual species including gannet, bittern, red-throated diver and common scoter.  Breeding species include the great-crested grebe. 

Other wildlife
A variety of mammals occur here including otter, red squirrel, badger, roe deer and bat.  Red squirrels live in the conifer plantations around the reservoir where mature scots pine and norway spruce provide a good supply of tree seeds.  In Northumberland, red squirrel often favour mature larch for the construction of dreys (squirrel nest).   The young and mature conifer plantations such as those found at Catcleugh are also good habitat for roe deer, where the variety of flowering plants, grasses, sedges and rushes provide excellent sources of food.

Catcleugh reservoir lies within a larger network of watercourses that supports a healthy population of otter.  This type of habitat is preferable because it is undisturbed, has an abundance of prey, and allows this shy creature to travel many miles between river catchments, along streams and overland through moorland and wet grassland. 

Bat boxes have been erected in the woods and pipistrelle bats use them during the summer.  Buildings are also utilised for roosting.  Whiskered and brandts bats are known to roost in the eastern end of the main house during the summer and at dusk, bats may be seen feeding around the associated garden and the mature woodland areas at the southern end of the reservoir.

The adder is common here as it is well suited to this undisturbed habitat with plenty of basking and hibernation sites ,as well as a plentiful supply of food.

Toads have been recorded around the shallow northern margins of the reservoir. Preferred habitats include the reed grass, which grows in the deeper water here and provides a suitable spawning substrate.  Woodland, up to several hundred metres away, can provide cover within which amphibians will hibernate.

A few common British butterflies may be seen during the summer months such as small white, green-veined white, orange tip, small tortoiseshell, ringlet and small heath.

Colt Crag

Site designations

Site of Nature Conservation Importance

Location
North of Corbridge, adjacent to the A68 main trunk road.

Access & facilities
This reservoir is used for fishing (by permit only) and is leased to the Colt Crag and Little Swinburne Angler’s Association. 

Site
Colt Crag is a relatively shallow upland reservoir surrounded on the northern side by enclosed grassland and on the southern side by unenclosed hill pasture. The reservoir is one of a series of large water bodies in this part of Northumberland which are connected by streams and aqueducts. Colt Crag lies at an altitude of 200 metres.

Habitats
Much of the reservoir is fringed by mature coniferous plantation, comprising mainly scots pine and norway spruce with some larch, and an under storey of rowan, willow, elder and hawthorn.  Birch and beech also grow here with bramble and raspberry providing much of the field layer.  Broadleaved woodland has recently been planted in the south western corner of the site.  Marshy grassland, dominated by yorkshire fog, sweet vernal grass and crested dog’s tail also occurs here and as a result of the  seasonal water logging, the herbaceous species include marsh thistle, fen bed straw, northern marsh orchid and water avens.

Species characteristic of the neutral grassland, found occasionally in this area, include silverweed, lady’s mantle and cowslip whilst wavy hair grass, tormentil and heath bedstraw indicate acid grassland.  The species that typify the more shaded woodland include hedge woundwort, pignut, herb robert and lesser stitchwort. 

The large stone blocks making up the dam have been colonised by numerous grassland and ruderal (quick growing) species and, in conservation terms, can be described as species rich.  The sward includes silverweed, broad-leaved willow herb, selfheal, fen bedstraw, herb robert, black knapweed, meadowsweet, bird’s foot trefoil, water avens, perforate St John’swort and common spotted orchid with hawthorn, birch and rowan seedlings.  The diversity of the dam can easily be overlooked, however, as it is regularly mown during the summer months

Large beds of reed canary grass and lesser pond sedge dominate the shores of the inlets.  Other species that occur here include silverweed, broad-leaved willow herb, corn mint, sneezewort, marsh thistle, fen bedstraw, lesser spearwort and marsh penny wort.
 
Birds
The winter numbers for common species of wildfowl that occur here such as mallard, teal, tufted duck and wigeon.  Up to 300 canada geese may be present, together with greylag, pink-footed and white-fronted geese.  Smew are regular winter visitors and there are also records of scaup, common scoter and long-tailed duck using the site in winter.

One of Colt Crag's main attractions are the great-crested grebes, which you cannot fail to see in the summer months, as they regularly breed here.  Other breeding species include teal, oystercatcher, little ringed plover, tawny owl, sedge warbler, garden warbler, spotted fly catcher, coal tit, goldcrest and crossbill.  A colony of 20-30 pairs of house martins return each year to nest under the eaves of the boathouse.

The rough grassland adjacent to the site provides ideal breeding habitat for the cuckoo, meadow pipit, whinchat and wheatear.  The more frequently recorded birds of prey include kestrel, sparrowhawk, peregrine, merlin and occasionally buzzard and goshawk, whilst the more fortunate visitor to the reservoir may see a hen harrier or a short-eared owl patrolling in search of food.   There is also a good chance of seeing osprey at Colt Crag, which are regularly reported by local fishermen in spring and autumn on passage, and have been known to spend the summer in the area.

Redpoll and siskin may be found in the coniferous woodland next to the reservoir in the autumn and in winter you may see redwing and fieldfare.  Colt Crag is an important roosting site for pre and post breeding black-headed and common gulls and the following two graphs show the mean of monthly maximum counts for both at Colt Crag.
 
Other wildlife
Numerous eaten pine cones, characteristic of Red squirrels have been found in the coniferous plantations around the reservoir.  The presence of conifers particularly Scots pine and several different species of broadleaved trees and shrubs provide a diversity of tree seed that forms an important component of the red squirrel’s diet.  Badgers are known to use the site and at dusk, during the summer, pipistrelle and noctule bats may be seen feeding in the sheltered area at the north eastern tip of the reservoir.  Roe deer have also been observed feeding in the newly planted broad leaved plantation adjacent to the cover of more mature plantations as the young trees provide ideal opportunities for browsing.

Adders have been seen basking here.  This species is well suited to this undisturbed location where there is much open ground, a plentiful supply of food and rabbit burrows that which can be used for hibernation.

Extensive stands of reed canary grass and lesser pond sedge provide ideal breeding sites for numerous aquatic invertebrates, particularly dragonflies and damselflies.  Common British butterflies such as large white, green-veined white, orange tip, common blue, small tortoiseshell, meadow brown and small heath may be found. 

Cow Green

Site designations

Sandwiched between the two halves of Moorhouse – Upper Teesdale National Nature Reserve, North Pennine Moors Special Protection Area, Moorhouse-Upper Teesdale Special Area of Conservation and within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Location
Ten miles north west of Middleton-in-Teesdale.  Turn off the B6277 at Langdon Beck.

Access & facilities
There is a car park at Cow Green; however, there are no public toilets.

The Pennine Way passes close by Cow Green en route from Langdon Beck to High Cup Nick.  Nearby, the foaming cataract of Cauldron Snout plunges dramatically down from the reservoir outflow, to form a spectacular confluence of the river Tees and Maize Beck, beneath Falcon Clints.  The waterfall can be reached through the reserve on the dam access road.  There is a nature trail which is wide enough to allow access by wheel chair.

The area from the boat house to the western end of the dam forms part of the National Nature Reserve managed by English Nature and public access and fishing are prohibited..

Site
Cow Green was built in 1970 and is our highest reservoir at an altitude of 480 metres. It was formed in a shallow basin in the upper reaches of Teesdale.

Widdybank Fell on the north eastern shore is a National Nature Reserve (NNR) managed by English Nature. A variety of habitats are present within the NNR including upland hay meadows, pastures, juniper scrub, moorland and blanket bog.
This site is of international importance for its rare arctic alpine flora, which is unique to Great Britain.

The north western end of Cow Green borders the Moor House National Nature Reserve (NNR), which is of international importance for its acid grassland, moorland and blanket bog habitats, which support a variety of upland birds; notably breeding waders.

Habitats
The land adjacent to the reservoir is primarily blanket bog, typified by heather, cotton grass and bog moss with some flushed areas dominated by rushes and sedges. The most extensive areas of calcareous grassland, is characterised by fescues, blue moor grass and heath grass and occurs away from the reservoir margins on Widdybank Fell.

The south eastern part of the reservoir lies within the Upper Teesdale National Nature Reserve(NNR); an internationally important site supporting rare arctic alpine plants such as spring gentian, bird’s-eye primrose and the Teesdale violet.

Birds
Cow Green, despite its large size, is too high and exposed to be an attractive habitat for many wildfowl; it also freezes most winters for up to two months or more depending on the weather.  However, when conditions allow, mallard, teal and goosander are the most regular winter visitors.  Other species that have been recorded include pochard, goldeneye, tufted duck, canada goose, gannet, wigeon, whooper swan and peregrine falcon.

Birds which breed on the moorland around Cow Green are those characteristic of upland areas; such as red grouse, golden plover, snipe, curlew, lapwing, dunlin, redshank, wheatear and meadow pipit.  The margins of the reservoir provide breeding grounds for common sandpiper and oystercatcher, whilst the tributary streams support dippers.  A pair of red-breasted merganser bred here for the first time in May 1994  and have continued to be recorded ever since.

A black-headed gull colony has been present since at least the early 1970s on Widdybank Fell and occasionally on a small island towards the eastern end of the reservoir (now usually submerged).

Other wildlife
Palmate newts, common lizard and common frog have been recorded within the catchment of Cow Green as well as mink and stoat.  Rabbits occur here in prolific numbers; they are a management concern because they selectively graze the calcareous grassland.  Moles pose another management challenge for this fragile habitat.

Davy Down

This 10 hectare site beside Essex & Suffolk Water’s Stifford Pumping Station is a gateway to the Mardyke Valley.  We work closely with the Davy Down Trust, Thurrock Council and Thames Chase Community Forest to manage the site for conservation, access and community involvement, funding a warden to manage the site and run activities.  We also work closely with the Mardyke Valley Project, who use Davy Down to host a variety of events and run volunteer days on site. 

Davy Down has some areas of conservation importance, including a thriving water vole population and glow worms.  The site also has a 3 hectare woodland, Pilgrim’s Copse, created through a millenium community planting programme to recreate a historic woodland.  The historic pumping station has been opened as a visitors centre and there are open days on selected summer Sundays. 

Derwent

Site designations

Within North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, adjacent to Pow Hill Site of Special Scientific Interest, site includes two County Wildlife Sites and a Company designated nature reserve at the western end.

Location
North-East of the B6278 Consett to Stanhope road.  “B” roads circumvent the entire reservoir.

Access & facilities
There are five seasonal recreational areas with car parks, picnic sites and toilets around this reservoir, of which; Pow Hill Country Park and Carricks are operated in conjunction with Durham County Council.  A range of excellent views of Derwent can be seen from a number of roadside vantage points including the lay-by’s on the Edmundbyers to Blanchland road.  A bird hide at Acton Bay provides views across the nature reserve.

Permissive footpaths enable access to most areas of the site.  The reservoir is stocked with rainbow and brown trout and fishing permits are available on site.  Sailing has long been a key activity managed through the Derwent Sailing Club which has a site on the north side of the reservoir.

Site
Derwent lies within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and after Kielder Water is the second largest reservoir in the Northeast.  It was built in 1966 at an altitude of 220 metres and has a surface area of 404.9 hectares when full.  The south western corner of the reservoir has been managed as a nature reserve since 1967 and was established in recognition of its importance for breeding birds and to allow wildfowl and waders to feed undisturbed. We operate the same system of zoning here, as at Scaling Dam and other reservoirs.  There is no public access within the nature reserve.  The bird hide at Acton Bay is locked with keys available from Durham Wildlife Trust.

Habitats
A 1997 ecological survey identified 27 distinct habitat types at Derwent Reservoir.
The semi-improved neutral grasslands around the site have received varying degrees of agricultural improvement but still retain some botanical diversity.  These grasslands are generally dominated by crested dog's tail, common bent and contain a range of herbs such as knapweed, lady's mantle and bird's-foot trefoil.  The species rich neutral grasslands at Acton Reach and Pow Hill support a number of traditional hay meadow species such as adder's tongue fern, great burnet, wood cranesbill and wood horsetail.  Sheep’s-fescue and a range of herbs such as heath bedstraw, devil’s-bit-scabious and tormentil generally dominate the unimproved acid grassland fields. Patches of dyer's greenweed, which according to the Northumberland Flora is localised/occasional, is fairly abundant around Derwent.  The fungi found in this area are the species generally associated with acid grasslands.   

Pow Hill Bog was designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1986.  It is outside our ownership boundary, though the country park is well worth visiting.  The heathland is ideal habitat for reptiles and butterflies especially the green hairstreak and similar habitat occurs on the adjacent reservoir land.  This is managed sympathetically to favour the key reptile and invertebrate species for which the site is renowned.

Derwent experiences considerable fluctuation in water level and wave action, which imposes limitations on the development of water plants.  However, marginal vegetation and areas of bare mud do occur where there is a shallow gradient to the water's edge, primarily at the western end of the reservoir in the nature reserve.

The broad-leaved woodlands around Derwent contain a mixture of oak, sycamore, ash, birch, beech and Scots pine.  They are all very variable both in age range, canopy cover and ground flora.  Dead wood, a key feature of diverse and healthy woodlands is found in abundance within the nature reserve woodlands and is an extremely important habitat, especially for invertebrates and fungi. Numerous conifer plantations also occur, though the ground flora in these areas is generally sparse.  These are gradually being thinned or felled and replaced with native broadleaves. 

Birds
The nature reserve is an important roosting and feeding area for wildfowl such as mallard, teal, coot, moorhen, tufted duck, pochard, goldeneye, goosander and greylag geese.  Occasionally pink-footed geese, white-fronted geese, barnacle geese, pintail and scaup may be seen.  Red-throated diver, gadwall, whooper swan and smew are uncommon visitors to the site.  There have been rare sightings of black-necked grebe, Bewick's swans, bean goose and common scoter. Derwent is an important breeding site for wigeon, though only in the winter does it yield its highest counts of this rather special duck.   Great-crested grebe also nest on Derwent.

Large areas of mud, which are exposed in the late summer, attract migrating waders.  Species such as lapwing, redshank, curlew, oystercatcher and snipe may regularly be seen breeding on the surrounding farmland during the summer where breeding Twite have also been recorded.  The spring and autumn, therefore, are the best time to see rare waders such as green sandpiper, greenshank, golden plover and little ringed plover.

Peregrine, buzzard and goshawk are occasionally observed soaring overhead in winter, as are ospreys when they are migrating.  There is a heronry within the nature reserve woodland at Ruffside.  This site is also often frequented by linnets and redstarts in the autumn  and bramblings in winter.

During the winter months, the reservoir and immediate surrounding land is used as a major roost site for gulls; the majority of which are common gulls.  Approximately 20,000 have been recorded at a time with high counts in excess of 25,000. Most gulls only use the reservoir at dawn and dusk.

Graphs showing the winter counts for common wildfowl since recording began in the late 1960s are included in the appendices.

There have been consistent numbers of mallard, wigeon and teal; all of which are known to breed at Derwent.  The pochard population has, conversely, been in decline at Derwent since the mid 1970s.

Other wildlife
A variety of mammals frequent the site including brown hare, badger, roe deer, stoat, weasel, pygmy shrew, fox and red squirrels.  Otters regularly visit the site, but because they are mostly nocturnal you will be very fortunate to see one.  A water vole survey in 1997 confirmed that this species is no longer present at Derwent, probably due primarily to mink predation.  Pipistrelle and noctule bats may be seen feeding over the grasslands of the Carricks picnic area at dusk during the summer.

We have altered the management regimes of the meadow grasslands next to the reservoir to favour invertebrates, especially butterflies.  As a consequence, the numbers of common and less common British butterflies recorded at the site now exceeds twenty.  The meadows at the east end of the dam, and grasslands around Millshield picnic area are the key areas for observing butterflies. The rare dark green fritillary and green hairstreaks have been recorded. The dingy skipper can easily be seen during the early summer roosting on common knapweed, with their wings characteristically dropped around the flower head at dusk.  This species is currently declining in Britain.

Wild fish including brook lamprey, bull head, wild brown trout and stoneloach also occur, mainly in the many streams that flow into the reservoir.

Fontburn

Site designations

Whole reservoir is designated as a County Wildlife Site.

Location
Five miles south of Rothbury on the B6342.

Access & facilities
A public footpath may be followed along both banks; the southern one linking into a longer way marked route across Leighton Moor (neighbouring National Trust land), whilst the north shore route finishes at the boundary of the nature reserve.  Car parking, fishing lodge and toilet facilities are available at this site.

Site
The reservoir was built in 1905 at an altitude of 180 metres.

Fontburn is a very popular and successful trout fishery which is stocked with Rainbow and Blue Trout.

Habitats
The north shore is mainly vegetated with scrub and woodland.  Tree species adjacent to the path include willow, blackthorn, elder, birch, hawthorn and hazel.  The car park at the northern end is flanked by habitats containing a mixture of grasses and ruderal (quick growing) species including rosebay willow herb, ragwort, common knapweed and spear thistle.  The low-lying ground to the east and north of the car park comprises undisturbed and species rich grassland and several interesting plants may be found here including twayblade, grass of parnassus, quaking grass and marsh fragrant orchid.  Common spotted orchids also grow in the base-rich flushed area.

The west facing dam wall is colonised by ruderal plants characteristic of neutral grasslands such as ragwort, sneezewort and common knapweed to name a few.

The western end of the reservoir is managed as a nature reserve.  The marshy grassland supports numerous herbs and grasses including common knapweed, meadowsweet, lesser spearwort, common valerian, purple moor grass, tufted hair grass and yorkshire fog.  A few willows and alders fringe the shore.  The promontory woodland trees have been coppiced in the past and comprise mainly birch with a hazel under story.  Wood sage, male fern, broad buckler fern and false brome provide a major component of the field layer in the woods.  On the shore, bottle sedge and field horsetail grow in the flushed areas whilst amphibious bistort and silverweed occur on the deeper shoreline silts.

The vegetation on the south shore is a mixture of coniferous plantation and birch woodland, though some of the conifers have been removed in recent years and the ground replanted with broadleaved species such as oak, rowan ash and birch.  Where there is an under storey, it is usually rowan and hawthorn and alder forms a component of the canopy in the wetter areas.  The field layer beneath the birch canopy is primarily wavy hair grass or bracken, with a mixture of woodland herbs including wood sorrel, wood sage and self heal.
   
At the extreme south eastern corner of the site there is an area of marshy grassland with abundant meadow-sweet, wild angelica, common knapweed and sneezewort.  Common sedge and sharp-flowered rush also occur here.  Where there is periodic flooding of the shore, species include common spike rush, reed canary grass, lesser spearwort and amphibious bistort.

Birds
The main body of Fontburn reservoir is a poor site for birds because of its intense use by anglers.  It is also subject to severe draw down during the summer, which frequently leaves the nature reserve with no standing water.

A small flock of mallard and up to eight goosander have been recorded in the winter, whilst flocks of greylag geese are often present in the spring and autumn.  Black-headed and common gulls roost on Fontburn in the autumn.  Osprey may occasionally be seen on passage to and from their summer breeding grounds, and in September 1991 a red-breasted goose spent several days at the site.  Herons are frequent visitors to the margins of the reservoir during the summer and from May to July, mallard, teal and moorhen may be seen rearing their young in the nature reserve.  Water rail are also known to breed at Fontburn.

During the summer, the deciduous woodlands around Fontburn are home to a variety of breeding birds including pied flycatcher, blue tit, chaffinch, coal tit, garden warbler, willow warbler, goldfinch, great tit, greenfinch, marsh tit, redpoll and redstart.  Firecrest have also been recorded.  Members of the Tyneside Ringing Group have erected bird and bat boxes and young birds are ringed before they fledge so that their individual progress may be monitored and population data collected.

Other wildlife
Fontburn is home to four British reptiles: common lizard, adder, slow worm and grass snake.  British populations of reptiles and amphibians have declined in recent years, resulting in increased protection for them under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and Countryside and Rights of Way (Crow) Act 2001.  Fontburn has a typical reptile population for this part of Northumberland but of particular interest is the presence of grass snakes; for Fontburn has one of the most northerly authenticated colonies of this species in Britain.  The site is also good for amphibians with common frog and common toad breeding in the shallow margins of the reservoir.  A recent survey of the settling ponds adjacent to the car park produced the first record of Great Crested Newt at the reservoir.

A variety of mammals inhabit the woodland around the reservoir such as badger, roe deer, brown hare, fox, weasel and red squirrel.  Mink also inhabit the area and otter are known to frequent the River Font.  At dusk during the summer, pipistrelle bats may be observed feeding at the edge of the woodland near Newbiggin Burn and whiskered/brandts bats may be seen feeding at the edge of the reservoir.

A few common British butterflies such as green-veined white, common blue, small tortoiseshell, meadow brown, ringlet and small heath have been recorded on the grasslands around the reservoir during the summer.

Grassholme

Site designations

Within North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and County Wildlife Site.

Location
Grassholme is situated in Lunedale, between the B6276 Middleton-in-Teesdale road and an unclassified road running from Mickleton to Kelton.

Access & facilities
This reservoir provides a venue for both angling and sailing and is a popular "day-out" destination. Northumbrian Water opened a visitor centre here in 1993 that incorporates not only toilets and a warden's office, but also a fishing lodge and information room.  The latter features a 'hands-on' exhibition that gives details of the recreational opportunities in the area, and current conservation initiatives. 

The terraced car park offers spectacular views of the valley and a small shop provides refreshments and clothing for visitors during the summer season.

A public footpath follows the reservoir shoreline and the Pennine Way forms the eastern boundary.

Site
Grassholme lies below Selset reservoir in Lunedale.  This reservoir was built in 1915 at an altitude of 270 metres.  A nature reserve was established here in the late 1960’s, in recognition of its importance as a refuge for birds during the breeding season.  In recent years, trees have been planted in an effort to diversify the habitat within the reserve.  The bird hide, at the western end of the reservoir, is accessible to wheel chair users.

Habitats
The reservoir is almost completely surrounded by acid grassland that is co-dominated by sweet vernal-grass and sheep’s fescue with crested dog’s tail and mat-grass.

The marginal vegetation on the north western side of the nature reserve is relatively diverse.  Here, deposits of mud and silt result in the reservoir having shallow margins, which are suitable for the establishment of tall emergent vegetation such as reed canary grass, meadow sweet, bottle sedge, smooth rush and common spike-rush.  Other associated species include water starwort, silverweed, water mint, lesser spearwort, water forget-me-not, marsh willowherb and various small sedges such as oval sedge and carnation sedge.

Small fragments of woodland contribute to the habitat diversity of the site.  Cote House Wood, for example, is dominated by ash with an under storey of hazel and has a rich ground flora that includes wood sedge, water avens, wood avens, primrose, ramsons, dog's mercury, wood-sorrel, bluebell, wood forget-me-not, hedge woundwort and wood cranesbill.

Birds
Britain has a large population of gulls, primarily associated with its extensive coastline.  Important concentrations of gulls occur on reservoirs, which are used primarily for roosting. The importance of reservoirs relative to coastal and other wetland habitats in Britain is, however, difficult to define due to the mobility of gulls.

Several of our reservoirs have large gull colonies.  We have established a nature reserve at Grassholme in recognition of its importance as an inland breeding site for black-headed gulls.  Around 2000 birds may be seen at Grassholme from March-June.  Most recoveries of gulls ringed at Grassholme as chicks are from the North-East, but gulls have been recovered from places as far afield as Northern Ireland, Suffolk, Swansea and Denmark.

The populations of duck and waders recorded at the site are supplemented by visiting birds, many of which breed in the surrounding area.
 
The number of wintering wigeon at Grassholme, for example, has increased gradually since the mid 1970s to a maximum of over 250 in recent years whilst teal have also increased in abundance with 1999 showing a peak count. Mallard show a similar trend whist numbers of canada geese show a dramatic increase at the site from the mid 1990’s.

The winter numbers of whooper swan, pochard, tufted duck, goldeneye and goosander have, however, always been low.  Little grebe have been recorded several times during the late summer.

Coot, moorhen, goosander and tufted duck have been recorded breeding in the reserve, and in June 1990 a pair of great-crested grebe were recorded for the first time.  1-2 pairs have subsequently bred regularly within the relative safety of the black-headed gull colony. 

Waders such as snipe, oystercatcher, and lapwing breed on the land surrounding the reservoir whilst common sandpiper and ringed plover breed on the reservoir margins.  Other birds associated with the waters’ edge include pied wagtail, grey wagtail and dipper.  Passage waders such as greenshank and green sandpiper may also utilise Grassholme.  Birds of prey, including sparrowhawk, kestrel and short-eared owl (which breed nearby), visit the reservoir to feed.  Unusually, a colony of jackdaws is known to nest in disused rabbit burrows within the nature reserve.

Other wildlife
Common toad spawn in the reservoir margins whilst within the water body itself, bullhead, brown trout, minnow, loach, eel and  swan mussels have all been recorded.

Hallington

Site designations

Site of Nature Conservation Importance

Location
Just off the A68 main road from Corbridge to Jedburgh, adjacent to the B6342 minor road to Rothbury.

Access & facilities
The fishing rights are leased to the Westwater Angling Club.  Fishing by permit only. You may obtain one by contacting Northumbrian Water’s Leisure Department. The reservoir is stocked annually with rainbow trout. There is a car park with toilets.

Site
Hallington lies at an altitude of 140 metres and was constructed towards the end of the nineteenth century.  There are two reservoirs; Hallington reservoir west and Hallington reservoir east, which are separated by a dam.  An aqueduct enters the site in the north western corner and follows the northern boundary, flowing into both reservoirs.  The surrounding farmland comprises mainly enclosed sheep grazed pasture.  Both reservoirs form a Site of Nature Conservation Importance.

Habitats
The reservoir is one of a series of large water bodies, in this part of Northumberland, which are connected by streams and aqueducts. Hallington Reservoir West is surrounded by an embankment on three sides along which a shelter belt has been planted.  This is dominated by Scots pine with a mixture of other trees such as beech, sycamore, norway maple, silver birch, alder, ash, oak and wych elm.  The field layer is generally poor consisting mainly of coarse grasses and ruderal (quick growing) species.  Typical woodland species are scarce, although enchanter’s nightshade and wood avens do occur. 

The woodland on the north western corner is co- dominated by Scots pine and larch with beech, willow and sycamore.  The under storey of this woodland is poor, comprising primarily young sycamore.  The field layer is also poor and contains mainly rosebay willow herb, bramble and stinging nettles, though numerous fungi such as tawny grisette, shaggy ink cap, saffron milk cap and blackening russula may be found in the summer and autumn.

In the north western corner of this site there are large stands of both reed canary grass,  lesser pond sedge and amphibious bistort with some bottle sedge nearer the water.  Willows dominate the small promontory on the northern shore and characteristic swamp species occur here such as intermediate starwort and shoreweed.  The latter only occurs in very localised areas in Northumberland.  As a consequence it is a regionally important species.  Water plantain and marsh yellow cress also grow here.  The very rare and scarce small-fruited yellow sedge also occurs near the dam between the two reservoirs.  This is by far one of our most notable species and we are making every effort to conserve it.

The embankments are mown frequently though meadow buttercup, daisy, common mouse-ear, lady’s mantle and tufted vetch may be found if you look closely at the mown sward.  The stone faces of the embankments adjacent to the water have been colonised by numerous species, mostly towards the top of the walls.  The grass verge alongside the aqueduct, which flows from Nine Wells along the northern site boundary and into Hallington reservoir east, is species rich with a mixture of grassland and marshy plants.  The aqueduct itself is stone-lined with steep sides.
 
Hallington Reservoir East is fringed along its northern shore by a narrow Scots pine plantation and the grassy area here is most attractive.  A rich diversity of marshy grassland plants grows where the aqueduct flows into the reservoir.  Species include sneezewort, lesser spearwort, tufted vetch, greater burnet, bird’s foot trefoil, common knapweed, ragwort, meadow sweet, betony, tormentil, self heal, pepper saxifrage, common valerian and jointed rush to name a few. Plants of most interest are betony, which is at its northern limit in Northumberland, and pepper saxifrage that is characteristic of old grasslands and is also at its northern limit in Northumberland.

Reed canary grass and lesser pond sedge grow along the shore and in places corn mint and silver weed are common.  Willow and birch have colonised what used to be an island.

The trackway next to Hallington Reservoir East is host to a rich diversity of grassland species including common knapweed, red clover, lady’s mantle, yellow rattle, meadow sweet, common valerian, red bartsia, lesser stitchwort and eyebright.  The inlet is fringed on the west by a young sitka spruce and scots pine plantation and is itself dominated by reed canary grass, lesser pond sedge, yellow flag iris with amphibious bistort in the water and on the silty mud. 

The neutral grassland on the eastern and southern sides of the reservoir is species rich.  Many of the species occurring elsewhere on the site are also to be found here, such as ribwort plantain, bird’s foot trefoil, meadow buttercup, yarrow and lady’s mantle.

Birds
Hallington is one of a series of large water bodies in the area and is an important wintering area for wildfowl, particularly greylag geese, canada geese, wigeon, teal and mallard.  Scaup and long-tailed duck are occasionally recorded and smew is a regular winter visitor.

The autumn passage of waders varies in accordance with water levels at the reservoir; up to 70 dunlin may be present when conditions are favourable.  There are also records of grey plover, little stint, curlew, common sandpiper, bar-tailed godwit and turnstone.

Black-headed and common gulls are common passage birds that roost at Hallington in large numbers.  Gull numbers decline during the summer when the mature birds leave for their summer breeding grounds further north.

The roost site has also attracted other species including: mediterranean gull, little gull, icelandic gull and kittiwake.  Sandwich, arctic, common and black terns have also been recorded.

Warblers, tits and redstarts breed in adjacent woodland and little owl and skylark on neighbouring farmland.

Other wildlife
Mammals of conservation interest occurring here include otter, red squirrel, badger and bats.  Red squirrel are known to breed in the conifer plantations.   The diversity of trees, especially scots pine and ash, are the main source of food for the red squirrels.  The large network of watercourses favours the otter, a species which requires this type of habitat for dispersal.  Badgers utilise the wooded area which provides them with ideal cover for foraging.  At dusk, during the summer months, the occasional pipistrelle bat may be seen feeding around the car park and along the shelter belt at the western end of the site.  Historically, before the reservoir water level was regularly drawn down during the summer, numerous bats were to be seen regularly feeding above the water body. It was felt that both the bats and the brown trout within the reservoir disappeared at about this time; a fact that this could be linked to the loss of aquatic invertebrates due to the large fluctuations in water level.

Native white-clawed crayfish are reputed to be found next to the middle embankment but a breeding population has definitely been confirmed in the aqueduct that enters the reservoirs.  The margins of the reservoir provide favourable conditions for common frog to spawn. 

Butterflies which may be seen at Hallington include the green veined white, common blue, large skipper, small skipper and the meadow brown.  Red Admiral may be seen from April onwards.

Hanningfield

There are 530 hectares at Hanningfield, of which 360 hectares are covered by water and designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest.  Gadwall, tufted duck and pochare are three of the important breeding species here and year-round coot numbers are of national significance. 

Essex & Suffolk Water works in partnership with Essex Wildlife Trust at the site.  A nature reserve is leased to Essex Wildlife Trust, Essex & Suffolk Water provided part of the funds for the Trust’s new visitor centre, and funds a warden to manage the site.  The reserve has 40 hectares of woodland with bird hides and nature trails and is of significant importance in the county.  Extensive surveys have been carried out on the site, and the nature reserve has a management plan that is agreed by local stakeholders.

Horning Marsh Farm

Horning Marsh Farm is a 35 hectare reedbed site owned by Essex & Suffolk Water.  It lies within the Bure Broads and Marshes Site of Scientific Interest, Special Protection Area and Special Area of Conservation.  80% of the site is in the Broads Environmentally Sensitive Area scheme – fen tier agreement.  This ensures that the site is managed as a reedbed with due regard to nature conservation.  This site is managed by our Catchment Officer based at Lound.

The site is dominated by common reed and saw sedge.  Milk parsley is also located on the site.  This is the food plant of the Swallowtail Butterfly caterpillar, Britains largest and rarest butterfly which is only found in the Norfolk Broads.  Horning Marsh Farm also provides habitat for Marsh Harriers and feeding areas for overwintering Bitterns.

There is no public access onto the site so the area is left virtually undisturbed for wildlife.  However, the Broads Authority organises visits to the site through voluntary conservation activities and an annual Marsh Safari available to the general public.

Hury

Site designations

Within North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Location
Hury lies in Baldersdale, west of Romaldkirk and north west of Barnard Castle.  Approach from Romaldkirk on the B6277.

Access & facilities
There is a Car park with disabled facilities at both ends of the dam.  A public footpath runs along the north shore.
 
Site
Hury was built in 1894 at an altitude of 250 metres.

Habitats
The main habitat around the reservoir is acid grassland that is dominated by sheep’s fescue and common bent.  Neutral grassland has developed below the dam wall and  there are a few scattered birch and rowan trees next to the reservoir. 

Historically, the area may have once been extensively wooded; relict woodland flora still exists on steep ground around the reservoir, to the west and along some of the gills, where the grazing pressure from sheep has been less.  Ancient woodland also occurs lower down in Baldersdale and it is possible that the fragments of woodland at Hury are vestiges of woodland that occurred before this part of the valley was flooded. 

Birds
The main nature conservation interest at Hury is ornithological.  In the past the site was particularly important for wildfowl, especially during the winter months, with duck numbers usually exceeding those of the other reservoirs nearby in Baldersdale, Lunedale and Teesdale. Numbers of wintering mallard have, however, decreased steadily from a peak of 882 in 1968 to an average maximum of approximately 120 birds in the 1970s and just over 50 birds in the 1980s.  Numbers of wintering wigeon and teal have also decreased in recent years.  Goosander have been regularly recorded since the mid 1970s whilst pochard, tufted duck and goldeneye have proved irregular visitors since records began.

The numbers of wildfowl were historically higher than recent years but there are no known reasons for this decline, although particularly low numbers of duck are often correlated with cold winters when there is extensive ice cover.  The suitability of Hury as a summer breeding site for wildfowl is limited by the relatively small area of vegetation cover and by disturbance from shore anglers. 

Hury is the most important of the Teesdale reservoirs for canada geese.  They were first recorded in 1945 when there were 5 pairs.  Since then their numbers have been steadily increasing to 200 plus birds today.  However, regular disturbance by local farmers encourages the flocks to move on and prevents their numbers at the reservoir from increasing.

Waders such as oystercatcher, lapwing, curlew, redshank and common sandpiper occur in particularly high densities at Hury during the breeding season.  Common sandpiper and oystercatcher breed along the shore, whilst other species occupy territories in the surrounding fields.  Hury also supports high numbers of roosting black-headed and common gulls during the winter months.

Kielder Water

Site designations

Within Border Forest Park.

Location
Kielder Water is the largest man-made lake in Northern Europe and is located approximately two miles from the Scottish Border, in the Tynedale District of Northumberland.  The reservoir was constructed in the early 1980s by damming the North Tyne and several of its tributaries.

Access & facilities
Kielder Water nestles within Kielder Forest where much of the natural vegetation has been greatly modified by the planting of coniferous trees.  Whilst the primary use of surrounding land is for timber production, there has been some development of recreation facilities associated with the reservoir.  These include a variety of watersports such as sailing, water-skiing, canoeing, wind surfing and a ferry service. The reservoir is also managed as a fishery, stocked with rainbow trout, which supplements the population of wild brown trout.  Other facilities include an information centre, swimming pool, log cabin accommodation, and camping sites. 

Habitats
Much of the land surrounding Kielder Water is covered in sitka spruce and norway spruce plantations, predominantly along the northern shore.  The field layer beneath these plantations is poorly developed and often devoid of vegetation or supporting only mosses.  More plants, however, are found at the edges of the plantations and measures have been taken to increase the diversity of Kielder Forest.  These include the planting of native broad-leaved trees such as oak, rowan and birch around the reservoir, in existing or former coniferous areas and felling trees to form glades and rides to encourage invertebrates such as butterflies. 

Of particular interest is a row of fine mature beech trees, on the Leaplish Peninsula, which show evidence of ancient coppice and are relics of the area’s early enclosure between 1770 and 1820.  Wet broadleaved woodland, which is of national importance, occur at Kielder along the Plashetts Burn and has a field layer including dog’s mercury, primrose, enchanter’s nightshade. Wood sorrel and wood horsetail, indicators of ancient woodland are also present.  Other mature broadleaved woodland is found along the Lewis Burn, the Leaplish Peninsula and on Bull Crag.

The grassland and scrub habitats on the edge of the forest are also important though these unafforested areas are relatively small in comparison to the planted areas.  The resulting nature conservation value of Kielder is relatively low. The dry heath, which is dominated by ling (a type of heather), forms a mosaic with acid grassland in places and is best seen to the west of the Tower Knowe visitor centre.  In the wetter areas you can find species such as cross leaved heath (another type of heather), purple moor grass, common cotton grass, hare’s tail cotton grass, wavy hair grass, heath betstraw and tormentil.  Soft rush and hard rush are both found in the poorly drained areas.  Species found at the water’s edge include lesser pond sedge, reed canary grass and lesser spearwort.

The margins of the old North Tyne road still retain a neutral grassland flora, which is very rich in places.  Characteristic species include sneezewort, yarrow, marsh thistle, common valerian, lady’s mantle, hay rattle, selfheal and bird’s foot trefoil.  Another habitat of conservation importance is marshy grassland, which is particularly extensive at the head of the inlet at the former Howletts Bog.

Birds
Kielder Water, because of its vastness, is mistakenly expected to be a good site for birds.  However this exposed upland reservoir with its high levels of recreational activity during the summer months, supports comparatively few birds for its size.

The reservoir is, however, frequented by small numbers of wintering, moulting and breeding mallard and a few wintering teal, pochard, goldeneye and tufted duck.  Common sandpiper and oystercatcher may be seen during the summer and black-headed and common gulls roost at the dam end at intervals throughout the year.  A relatively large goosander roost (36 birds in total) was recorded in 1993. 

Osprey is an annual visitor and both black kite and rough-legged buzzard have also been recorded.  Mandarin duck, one of the reservoir’s specialities, regularly breeds here and several other unusual species have been recorded including several sea birds such as fulmar, common scoter, red-breasted merganser, long-tailed skua and kittiwake.

The main species associated with the coniferous plantations are; crossbill, coal tit, grasshopper warbler, willow warbler and siskin, whilst the small areas of heathland around Kielder Water support wheatear, meadow pipit and whinchat.  There are also regular sightings of the locally uncommon stonechat in this area, particularly around the Tower Knowe visitor centre.

Other wildlife

Fox, roe deer, stoat, weasel, common shrew, badger and red squirrel are recorded around Kielder Water. 
Animal tracks and signs that have been found, include the remains of pine and spruce cones which indicate the presence of red squirrel (a species of national importance). These are common in the mature coniferous plantations near Merlin Brae, Hawkhirst Peninsula, Lewis Burn and the Belling.  Many roe deer footprints can be seen in the silty mud where the Belling Burn flows into the reservoir. At dusk during the summer pipistrelle bats may be seen feeding around the car park at Hawkhope and around the grounds of the visitor centre at Leaplish.  There is also a bat roost within the old barn, located near the Bird of Prey Centre. 

The common frog and common toad spawn in the margins of the reservoir and adders and common lizard have been recorded on the moorland around Kielder Water.

Numerous common british butterflies like the large white, small white, green-veined white, orange tip, small tortoiseshell, peacock, comma, meadow brown and ringlet may be seen flying over the surrounding grasslands during the summer.  During a butterfly survey carried out in 1999, large ringlet colonies were found in the damp meadows around Kielder Water. 

Lockwood Beck

Site designations

Within North York Moors National Park and is also a County Wildlife Site.

Location
Adjacent to the A171 Guisborough to Whitby road, on the north-eastern edge of the North York Moors National Park.

Access & facilities
Car park with toilets at the north-western end.  A public footpath encircles the shoreline of the reservoir.

Site
Lockwood Beck was built in 1877 at an altitude of 180 metres.   The best time to visit this site is August-September when the surrounding heather moorland is in flower and creates a sea of purple.

Habitats
The southern bank of the reservoir is mainly heathland co-dominated by heather (ling) and bracken.  Plants such as hard fern, silver hair-grass and hairy woodrush occur here. 

Both the eastern and western sides of the reservoir are tree covered, with mature mixed woodland comprising mainly sycamore, beech and the occasional conifer.  The under storey has a poorly developed shrub-layer and ground flora that is dominated by grasses such as wavy hair-grass and creeping soft-grass and wood sorrel.  A mature stand of larch and pine occupies part of the south-western corner.  Other tree cover is provided here, as at many other reservoirs, by a fringing line of willow at the top water level of the reservoir.
 
Semi-natural species-rich neutral grassland occurs on the north-facing slope of the dam.  Typical grasses that are present include crested dog's- tail and sweet vernal grass with a variety of herbs such as pignut, ribwort plantain, meadow buttercup, yellow rattle and common sorrel. A colony of twayblade was identified here in 1994 but, unfortunately, when the site was resurveyed in 1999, they were not located.  

The south-western corner of the reservoir contains tracts of marsh where mats of marsh cinquefoil, marsh pennywort and various sedges flank the incoming stream.  The swamp community, which is particularly well developed on the eastern side, is characterised by the presence of sharp-flowered rush, soft rush, common spike-rush and occasional wetland herbs such as water mint and common spearwort.

Birds
Wildfowl records show comparatively low numbers due, primarily, to high recreational use.

Mallard is the most numerous species and also breeds at the site although numbers do fluctuate.  Tufted duck are frequent visitors during late summer and pochard, as well as small numbers of coot, wigeon, teal, goldeneye and goosander may be seen feeding out of the breeding season as the use of the reservoir by wildfowl increases.  Whooper swan, smew, pintail and scaup have been recorded but are rarely seen during the regular winter wildfowl counts.  Osprey, however, are regularly seen during their migration to and from their Scottish breeding grounds.

The woodland and scrub around Lockwood Beck supports a variety of passerines and the following graph shows which birds have successfully used the nest boxes in the woodlands for breeding. The Tees Ringing Group rings young birds before they fledge, so that their future movements can be monitored.

TO = Tawny Owl, GW = Grey Wagtail, SF = Spotted Flycatcher, D = Dunnock,  ST = Song Thrush, BT = blue tit, GT = Great Tit, CT = Coal Tit,  CH = Chaffinch

During the winter months, large numbers of crossbill, brambling, chaffinch, siskin and redpoll are frequently present in the woods.

Other wildlife
A reptile survey of Lockwood Beck in 1995 highlighted that it was one of the most important sites for reptiles in the Northeast. The combination of wooded areas and open heath provides the ideal habitat for three of the more common reptiles found in Britain: adder, slow-worm and common lizard. 

Common frogs and common toads spawn in the margins of the reservoir and the density of the breeding toad population is high in comparison with other local sites.  Lockwood Beck is stocked with brown and rainbow trout.  Perch and minnow are also present in the reservoir. 

A variety of mammals have been recorded around the site such as water vole, roe deer, hedgehog, stoat, mink, weasel and whiskered bats – the latter may be observed feeding in the woodland at dusk during the summer months. 

Common butterflies such as the large white, green-veined white, red admiral, small tortoiseshell, peacock and meadow brown may all be seen in the grassland areas during the summer.  The marginal vegetation on the edge of the reservoir is home to a prolific number of damselflies such as the common blue damselfly.

Lound

The Lound lakes are situated near Lowestoft, and are reservoirs supplying water to this town and surrounding villages.  We own approximately 80 hectares of water, grassland and woodland at Lound, which is designated as a County Wildlife Site, and is accessible to the general public via a network of public footpaths.  The wider catchment of the lakes is around 27 km2 of predominantly arable land.

The site has been extensively surveyed and we are advised by Suffolk Wildlife Trust on its management.  A number of key species have been identified for conservation, including pillwort, orchids, butterflies, dragonflies and otters.  The majority of the grassland on the site is managed through a Countryside Stewardship Scheme that enables us to focus on the conservation interest of the site.  There has been a long history of interest in nature conservation at the site – because due to its use as a water source, parts of the site have never been fertililsed.

The site is managed through a partnership with the Broads Authority called the Lound Catchment Project.  Essex & Suffolk Water fund a Catchment Officer to look after the site and work with neighbouring landowners to try and improve water quality in the lakes.

The Lound Catchment Project was initiated in October 2004, with four aims:

• To understand the factors affecting water quality in the Lound Lakes, and subsequently to manage these factors better in order to improve water quality.
• To manage the landholding of Essex & Suffolk Water surrounding the lakes for improved water quality and nature conservation.
• To build closer working relationships with farmers in the surrounding catchment, and to develop methods to motivate them to improve management of their landholdings to reduce nutrients being washed off their fields (diffuse pollution).

• To develop appropriate schemes on the landholding of Essex & Suffolk Water for the purposes of public access, education and recreation in order to benefit the local community.

Essex & Suffolk Water abstracts water from the lakes, which is processed through a treatment works on site and supplies potable water to the towns of Lowestoft, Belton and Hopton.  The Lound Catchment Officer is thus responsible for coordinating site management and encouraging environmentally sensitive management in the wider catchment, working in conjunction with Essex & Suffolk Water and local stakeholders.

The Lound reservoirs are subject to elevated nutrient levels, predominantly from artificial fertiliser leached from farmland, and human and animal organic wastes.  Essex & Suffolk Water has to meet stringent drinking water quality standards and has monitored levels of nutrients in the Lound lakes for many years to track trends.  Analysis of this data has been carried out by ESW Water Resources team and has been a significant driver behind establishing the Lound Catchment Project.  Nitrate levels in the ponds have increased rapidly since 1998, and are predicted to rise further in the future.

The highlights of the first two years fo the Project have been:

• The development of a catchment management plan for 2006-2008.
• The refurbishment of the bird hide on site and the setting up of a permit system for birdwatchers.
• Improvements to site access via footpath signage and improvements to footpaths and boardwalks.
• The setting up of a volunteer group which meets one Saturday morning each month to undertake conservation work on site.

The installation of an interpretation board on the old chapel to provide long term and seasonal information for visitors.

The hosting of a workshop for farmers in May 2006, including a tour of the treatment works.

For more information please follow this link to the Broads Authority website:
www.broads-authority.gov.uk/projects/lound.html

Scaling Dam

Site designations

Within North York Moors National Park and has a company designated nature reserve.  Part of the nature reserve is within the North York Moors Site of Special Scientific Interest, Special Protection Area and Special Area of Conservation.

Location
Adjacent to the A171, on the main Guisborough to Whitby road, located in the north-eastern part of the North York Moors National Park.

Access & facilities
Car parking facilities with disabled access toilets.  A 4.5km circular path gives access around the whole reservoir.  There is no public access to the nature reserve, but the bird hide accessible from the Sailing Club car park and the bird screen at the end of Bog House Lane provide excellent vantage points to observe birds within the reserve. 

Site
Scaling Dam was built in 1957 and is 180 metres above sea level.  Its location close to the East coast means that it is particularly important for passage migrants on their journey either to or from their summer breeding grounds.

The shallower western end of the reservoir was established as a nature reserve in 1969. The reservoir is used for a variety of water sports including sailing and canoeing; angling is also popular.  To minimise any potential conflict between wildlife and recreation, we manage the reservoir by zoning where and when particular activities can and cannot take place.  Angling and all boats are excluded from the nature reserve at all times.  The sailing season is from March until the end of October. Boats are kept off the water during the winter months, to avoid disturbance to the numorous wintering wildfowl.

Habitats
Scaling Dam, unlike the majority of our reservoirs, has a relatively well-developed aquatic flora.  Water vegetation is abundant here because the water level fluctuates little and at times, curled pondweed and canadian pondweed have been so prolific as to impede sailing.  The margins of the reservoir are very stony, and experience frequent wave action that inhibits plant growth.   However, rushes, damp tolerant grasses and a few marshland herbs are present; probably the most notable species is the marsh speedwell, known only to occur in three or four sites in Cleveland.

Heathland, co-dominated by ling (a type of heather) and bracken occurs in the south-eastern and southern parts of the site.  The heather is not burnt or grazed allowing it to develop to maturity unlike small areas of the surrounding moorland that are regularly burnt as part a management regime for grouse shooting.  This cyclical process of burning produces different ages of heather and creates the patchwork appearance that typifies this part of the North York Moors.

Species-poor neutral grassland, dominated by coarse grasses and managed through sheep grazing, is a feature of the north-facing dam embankment.  Where damper patches occur hard rush, sedges and occasional marsh herbs may be found such as cuckoo flower and ragged robin.  These may be seen flowering during the summer months. 

The woodland at the eastern end of Scaling Dam is dominated by willow, which also line some of the drainage ditches.   Gorse scrub also occurs here. The main area of woodland occurs within the nature reserve and includes a mixture of hawthorn, birch, rowan and conifer species.

Several minor streams join Scaling dam at its south-eastern corner and most have linear bog-communities or adjacent marshy zones.  The flora of these wetlands is generally more profuse than elsewhere on the site and is typically rush dominated with common cotton grass, common spike-rush and bog moss.  Bottle sedge, recorded from only a few sites in Cleveland can also be found here.  A profusion of flowering plants occurs in the summer, including sneezewort, greater bird’s-foot trefoil, water mint, red rattle, marsh cinquefoil and lesser spearwort.  Less widely distributed species include common spotted orchid, marsh valerian, marsh speedwell and ragged robin. 

The four fields at the western end of the reservoir lie within the nature reserve. These have been carefully managed for the last twenty years and have a species rich neutral collection of grasses and flowers.  The dominant grass species are sheep's fescue and sweet vernal grass.  Glaucous sedge is locally common.  Pignut, meadow vetchling, bird’s-foot trefoil, yellow rattle, common sorrel, lesser stitchwort and bird’s-eye speedwell are amongst the most obvious herbs and the fields are also home to the rare adder’s tongue fern.  The fields are managed by winter grazing with sheep rather than annual cutting, to encourage the spread of the adders-tongue fern. 

The wetlands that occur in the nature reserve where Boghouse Beck enters the reservoir from the moorland, are very important in a regional context.  Here, the wetland is characterised by several notable species such as bottle sedge, common butterwort, ragged robin, water mint and red rattle.   The field next to Boghouse Beck also contains a sizeable population of common spotted orchid.  Later in the season the delicate grass of parnassus appears as well as other species including marsh valerian
and marsh violet.

Birds
The bird hide close to the sailing club is a good vantage point for bird watching, all year round.  From September-October the reservoir teems with over-wintering coot, teal, pochard, mallard and tufted duck.  Their numbers have remained fairly constant since recording began in the late 1960s.

There have been recent increases in the populations of both coot and greylag geese at Scaling Dam, whist wigeon and teal numbers have fluctuated markedly.

In the spring and autumn, passage migrants and scarce wildfowl such as shoveler, red-breasted merganser, gadwall, goosander, pintail, garganey, scaup and smew frequent  Scaling Dam.  Passage waders like greenshank, spotted redshank, ruff, green sandpiper and common sandpiper may also be seen.  Ospreys are a regular sight during their spring migration.

Breeding birds
In the summer 3 or 4 pairs of great-crested grebe regularly breed at Scaling Dam. Other breeding wildfowl include mallard, teal, tufted duck, greylag goose, coot and moorhen.  Breeding waders include redshank, lapwing, and curlew.  Cuckoo may also be heard singing during the summer.

Short-eared owls are regularly seen hunting over the meadows in the summer, looking for small mammals, whilst hen harriers patrol the surrounding moorland in winter. Kestrels are resident at this site.

Other wildlife
Brown hare, roe deer, hedgehog, stoat, weasel and common shrew as well as adder and common lizard have been recorded.  Newts, common frog and common toad all spawn in the margins of the reservoir.

The species rich grassland in the nature reserve attracts an abundance of common british butterflies such as small skipper, large skipper, small white, green-veined white, small copper, common blue, red admiral, small tortoiseshell, peacock, meadow brown, ringlet and small heath.  Historically, the green hairstreak, which feeds on bilberry, and the rare dark green fritillary, which feeds on violets, were recorded at Scaling Dam.  However, the latter, which is still known to occur on surrounding moorland, was not recorded during a butterfly survey carried out during the summer of 1999.

Scaling Dam is also probably the best-surveyed Northumbrian Water reservoir site for moths.  A dedicated group of enthusiasts has been live trapping and recording for a number of years.  Several methods of trapping are utilised across the whole site and whilst the species list to date is large for an upland reservoir, with over 150 species, it is undoubtedly incomplete. 

Selset

Site designations

Within North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.  The dam wall and the north-eastern section are within the Lune Forest Site of Special Scientific Interest, North Pennine Moors Special Protection Area and Pennine Dales Environmentally Sensitive Area.

Location
Follow the B6276, for approximately 5 miles, from Middleton-in-Teesdale.

Access & facilities
There is large car park near the north eastern corner of the reservoir from where
a rough moorland walking route can be followed along the shore.
 
Site
Selset is the largest of our reservoirs in Lunedale and was constructed in 1960 at an altitude of 310 metres.  It is the topmost reservoir of the two present in the valley, Grassholme being the second.  Selset used to have good numbers of waders and wildfowl in comparison to the other reservoirs in Lunedale and Baldersdale.  Severe draw down in the summer months over recent years, however, poses a major threat to breeding birds and numbers of certain species are falling.

Habitats
Large conifer plantations, planted as part of the original reservoir landscaping programme, are situated on the southern side of the reservoir.  Elsewhere there are large areas of acid and marshy grassland; the latter often dominated by purple moor grass. Grass of parnassus was found within one of these areas during a botanical survey carried out in 1999.  Flush areas and scattered broad-leaved trees also abound.

Birds
From October-February, mallard and teal are regular visitors.  A small number of pochard, tufted duck, goldeneye and goosander have wintered here since recording began in the late 1970s.  Whooper swans have also been recorded in small numbers.  Selset occasionally forms an important winter roost for black-headed, great black-backed and common gulls.  A small number of breeding mallard, teal and wigeon occur and 1-3 pairs of canada geese regularly rear their young at the top end of the reservoir.  All of the Teesdale reservoirs are important breeding sites for ringed plover.  The Lune Valley is on an important cross Pennine flyway so reservoirs can turn up odd birds at any time.

In the summer months (May-August) meadow pipit, skylark, whinchat, tree pipit, twite, curlew, lapwing, redshank and snipe may be seen on the surrounding moorland.

The deciduous woodlands around Selset are home to breeding spotted flycatcher and redstarts.  Osprey are regularly seen on passage during the spring and autumn and Short-eared owl may be seen hunting on the southern side of the reservoir during late summer and early autumn.

Yellow wagtails are regularly recorded in summer utilising water meadows and marshy fields for breeding territories. Teesdale is one of the British strongholds for this species that, in the north-east, is approaching the northern limits of its range; breeding only sparsely in southern Scotland.  All breeding sites on Northumbrian Water reservoirs are therefore regionally important.

Other wildlife
Mink, fox, rabbit, mole and short-tailed vole have been recorded at Selset.  A few common British butterflies such as green-veined white, red admiral, small tortoiseshell, peacock, meadow brown and small heath may be seen flying in the grasslands around the site in the summer.

Trinity Broads

The Trinity Broads is a system of interconnecting shallow lakes that are a result of medieval peat diggings.  Its 161 hectares constitutes 20% by area of the lakeland Broads.  The water bodies within the Trinity Broads are Ormesby, Rollesby, Lily, Ormesby Little and Filby Broad.  All of these Broads have good water quality as they are isolated from the main river system.  They are used as a source of drinking water.

The Trinity Broads are designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and a Special Area of Conservation.

Following the purchase of the majority of the Trinity Broads by Essex & Suffolk Water, in 1995, a partnership, with the Broads Authority, Environment Agency and English Nature, was formed to manage the area. This partnership was recognised through a formal Memorandum of Understanding in 2000. The partnership, in consultation with the local community and other broad users, have worked together to develop an overall management plan of the area.  Essex & Suffolk Water provides funding for a Catchment Officer who is responsible for the management of conservation and recreational activities on site and for working with neighbouring landowners to try and maintain good water quality in the broads.

A research programme is also being undertaken at Ormesby Broad to further improve its water quality.  The restoration techniques involve managing fish populations.  This has a temporary influence on the food chain, allowing water fleas to graze on algae without as much danger of being eaten by fish.  This keeps the water clearer and helps the recovery of aquatic plants.

Why do the Trinity Broads need managing?

The Trinity Broads has remained an important area for wildlife due to its relatively undisturbed environment. It is important to preserve the Trinity Broads through sympathetic management of the area. This is achieved by managing recreational activity at its current level.

The Trinity Broads are a series of interconnected broads, which are isolated from the River Bure by a sluice, constructed last century and located in the Muckfleet drainage channel.  Due to this isolation this system of broads has retained relatively high water quality standards and therefore habitat and wildlife of high conservation value. After the Thurne and Upton Broads, the Trinity Broads represent the next highest in terms of water quality.

What are the partnership’s objectives?
 
 Essex & Suffolk Water’s primary objective is to maintain the role of the Trinity Broads as a potable water supply, for the Great Yarmouth area, and to improve this resource in terms of its water quality. As a private water company they are also obliged to maintain the recreational use and conservation value of the area.
 
 The Trinity Broads are also important to different sectors of the wider community as a recreational, wildlife and practical resource.

Conservation Status

The Trinity Broads were designated a Site of Special Scientific in August 1998. They are also a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and Special Protected Area (SPA).

The following features qualify the site for SSSI status:

• Open Water
• Reedswamp
• Fen Meadow
• Carr Woodland
• Landscape
• Wildfowl
• Bittern

What is the recreational interest on the Trinity Broads?

• Fishing
• Sailing
• Pleasure rowing
• Shooting
• Model yachts
• Bird watching

Eutrophication

Since the 1930s there has been an increase in eutrophication in the rivers and broads throughout England. The Trinity Broads are isolated from the River Bure and so remain fundamentally free from the severe effects of eutrophication. However surface run off of nitrates from surrounding arable land and possible phosphate leaching from adjacent properties with septic tanks present sources of possible nutrient loading into the system.  The Trinity Broads Project aims to address this issue by working more closely with local farmers and business owners over the coming years.

Tunstall

Site designations

Within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, east shoreline lies within Backstone Bank and Baal Hill Woods Site of Special Scientific Interest and the northern end of the reservoir is an internally designated nature reserve.

Location
North of Wolsingham in Weardale.  The approach road from the western end of the village is sign-posted.

Access & facilities
A public footpath follows the shoreline around the reservoir.  Car park with toilets.  Tunstall is managed as a stocked trout fishery and has a small number of rowing boats available to anglers.

Site
Tunstall was built in 1879 at an altitude of 220 metres to supply water to the area around Bishop Auckland and Shildon.    The eastern side of the reservoir is flanked by woodland known as Backstone Bank and Baal Hill Woods, notified by English Nature as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).  The area of marsh around Waskerley Beck at the head of the reservoir was designated as a Company nature reserve, primarily to conserve the nationally scarce thread rush.

In the summer Tunstall can experience considerable draw down, which poses a major problem to breeding birds such as the Great Crested Grebe as nests become vulnerable to predation.

Tunstall is a popular venue for shore and boat anglers. The increase in recreational use has meant that the ornithological importance of this reservoir has declined substantially since the 1960s.

Habitats
Backstone Bank and Baal Hill Woods have been actively managed since the sixteenth century as part of the Bishop of Durham's estate.  The woodland here is largely sessile oak but the margins of the reservoir include alder and willow.

The inundation community within the nature reserve to the north is of particular note because the nationally scarce thread rush occurs here on the mud banks of Waskerley Beck.  This rush is very restricted in its national distribution, being confined to a small number of Scottish lochs, lakes and reservoirs in northern England.

The neutral grassland below the dam wall and partially around the water treatment works is extremely species-rich and includes spring-sedge and a large colony of early purple orchids. The grassland is dominated by sweet vernal-grass and crested dog’s-tail.

There is a mature conifer plantation on the western side of Tunstall around the fishing lodge and a roadside band of Scots pine stretches from here to the southern end of the reservoir.

Birds
Tunstall has been an important goosander roost, although in 1994 only 2 were recorded. The reservoir supports a small number of breeding moorhen, coot, mallard and common sandpiper and oystercatcher breed at the water treatment works.  Oystercatcher, redshank and lapwing sometimes roost on the dam and the reservoir is a regular winter roost for black-headed gulls where up to 850 birds have been recorded.

Backstone Bank and Baal Hill Woods SSSI provides nesting sites for a variety of summer visitors such as redstart, pied flycatcher, tree pipit, chiffchaff, garden warbler, wood warbler, willow warbler, spotted flycatcher, as well as the great spotted woodpecker, green woodpecker and nuthatch.  The lesser-spotted woodpecker has also been recorded.   

Other wildlife
Common frog and large numbers of common toad breed along the margins of the reservoir. The common lizard, adder and slow-worm may be found in the undergrowth.  A variety of mammals have been recorded including hedgehog, roe deer, rabbit, stoat and red squirrel. The buildings at the southern end of the reservoir are used by brandts and possibly pipistrelle bats as a summer roost.  These bat species may be seen feeding amongst the trees at the southern end of the reservoir and along the roadway that leads to the dam.

The common butterflies which occur in the grasslands around Tunstall include small skipper, large skipper, large white, small white, green-veined white, small copper, red admiral, small tortoiseshell, peacock, comma, meadow brown and small heath.

Waskerley, Smiddyshaw, Hisehope

Site designations

Within North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Muggleswick, Stanhope and Edmundbyers Commons and Blanchland Moor Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), North Pennine Moors Special Protection Area (SPA) and North Pennine Moors Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

Location
All three reservoirs are accessible from the Stanhope to Consett road on Muggleswick Common.  A locked barrier at the enterance to Hisehope restricts access to pedestrian only. 

Access & facilities
Car parking is limited at all three sites although Waskerley is easiest for parking.  Public footpaths run close to all three sites.

Site
These are three small reservoirs situated on Muggleswick Common.  Waskerley and Smiddyshaw were built in 1877 at an altitude of approximately 350 metres. Hisehope was built in 1906 at an altitude of 340 metres.  Waskerley, Smiddyshaw and Hisehope are surrounded by heather-dominated, privately managed, grouse moor that is at its most picturesque in August and September when the heather is in flower.

The individual conservation value of these three reservoirs is low as a result of nutrient deficiency and their exposed nature.  They are all, however, located in an area that has a high value for wildlife, forming part of a SSSI, SPA and SAC.  These designations reflect the value of the reservoirs as part of an important assemblage of habitats and because the moorland supports internationally important numbers and species of upland birds including black grouse, merlin and golden plover.

Recreational use of the reservoirs is limited, with Waskerley currently leased to an angling association.

Habitats
Waskerley is the largest and most varied of the three sites. Woodland cover here comprises a small conifer plantation with sitka spruce and scots pine, and a small broad-leaved plantation.  At Smiddyshaw Reservoir you can see petrified trees when water levels are low.

All the reservoirs are surrounded by a mosaic of dry heath and acid grassland that is co-dominated by a mixture of mat-grass, wavy hair-grass and heather and where acidic mires occur, soft rush and bog moss are dominant. 

Birds
Muggleswick Common, which surrounds Waskerley, Smiddyshaw and Hisehope is an important moorland for breeding upland birds; notably red grouse and waders such as lapwing, redshank, curlew, snipe, oystercatcher and golden plover.  Small passerines including meadow pipit and wheatear can be seen as well as raptors like short-eared owl and the nationally scarce merlin.  Mallard are the main winter residents on Waskerley and Smiddyshaw.
 
Hisehope is a comparatively poor site for birds and whilst breeding ringed plover and little ringed plover have been recorded, the main feature of this upland reservoir, along with Waskerley and Smiddyshaw are the colonies of gulls.  Up to 1,000 mainly black-headed and common gulls roost on Smiddyshaw and approximately 200 black-headed gulls have been recorded on Waskerley. Common gulls assemble here in March en route to their breeding grounds further north. 

When the reservoir water levels are low, good numbers of waders including curlew, sandpiper and grey plover have also been recorded.

The coniferous plantation next to Waskerley supports a small population of woodland birds such as chiffchaff, willow warbler and spotted flycatcher.  Osprey are regularly seen overhead going to and from their breeding grounds further north.

Other wildlife
Adder, common lizard, common frog and rabbits have been recorded around Waskerley, the latter being particularly abundant!  Brandts/whiskered bats have been recorded emerging from buildings near to Waskerley in late July although this is unlikely to be a nursery roost due to the exposed nature of the site.  The recorded bats are likely to be males or non-breeding females that often roost in small numbers.  Given the location of these reservoirs and the cool conditions over much of the year any buildings nearby may provide suitable roost or hibernation sites for bats.

Whittle Dene

Site designations

Site of Nature Conservation Importance.  Great Northern Reservoir is a Company designated nature reserve.

Location
The Whittle Dene complex of seven reservoirs lies north of Prudhoe in Northumberland and is best approached from a minor road running between the A69 and the B6318.

Access & facilities
The fishing (by permit only) on the Western Reservoir is leased to a local fishing club.   Permits for the other venues are available from Northumbrian Water’s Leisure Department.  A car park with toilets is provided.  There is a bird hide overlooking the Great Northern Reservoir.  The Hadrian’s Wall Long Distance Footpath passes along the southern edge of the Great Northern Reservoir.

Site
Whittle Dene comprises five main water bodies along with two sub-reservoirs.  The system is fed by Welton Burn at the northern end of the site and by the Whittle Dene aqueduct that flows from Hallington reservoir into the Great Southern Reservoir.  The site is one of a series of waterbodies in this part of Northumberland that are interconnected by streams and aqueducts.
Whittle Dene is surrounded by arable farmland and is very exposed at an altitude of 110 metres.  Trees, mostly conifers, have been planted to create shelterbelts and form important landscape features; some are over seventy years old.  These, and the aqueduct system, form important wildlife corridors around the site.
 
Habitats
The habitats at Whittle Dene Reservoirs include freshwater, coniferous plantations, neutral grassland and marshy grassland.  Some of the neutral grassland is particularly species-rich, as indicated in the last survey in 1992.   Each reservoir, as a result of operational and recreational pressures, has developed its own ecological identity.

The Great Northern Reservoir is very exposed and the banks are regularly mown.  Species characteristic of unimproved neutral grassland such as meadow cranesbill, common knapweed, yarrow, greater burnet, tufted vetch and lady’s mantle occur on the northern bank – though their numbers have declined recently.  The southern bank of this reservoir is diverse with most species found on the sloping bankside close to the water.  Here meadowsweet, marsh woundwort, marsh thistle, common valerian, brooklime, water mint, water forget-me-not, common spike rush, yellow flag iris and water avens occur.  Late april is also a good time to see the large swathes of native primrose, visible from the Hadrian’s Wall footpath.

Large stands of common reed have spread along the ditches in the north eastern corner of the reservoir with areas of amphibious bistort and lesser pond sedge along the northern and eastern sides.

There is a coniferous plantation, comprising almost entirely of scots pine, north of the Northern Sub Reservoir.  A wide variety of woodland species occur in the field layer such as red campion, wood sage, wood avens, common dog violet and bugle.  The grassland south of the plantation is species-rich, particularly at the foot of the slope on the grassy embankment leading down from the Great Northern reservoir.  Species include meadow cranesbill, meadowsweet, marsh thistle, marsh woundwort, yarrow, bird’sfoot trefoil, water avens, angelica, field scabious, primrose, ox-eye daisy and harebell.  Several broadleaved trees have been planted in this grassland.  Marginal vegetation is well developed around the Northern Sub Reservoir. 

The aqueduct, east of this reservoir, is species-rich and supports a wide variety of marshy grassland species such as reed canary grass, flote grass, branched burr-reed, water mint, watercress, broad –leaved pondweed, water forget-me-not, greater bitter cress and willow moss.  The grassy sides of the aqueduct are also very diverse and numerous flowering plants occur here such as greater burnet, ox-eye daisy, common knapweed, meadow cranesbill, field scabious, bird’sfoot trefoil, harebell, marsh woundwort, water avens, common valerian, lady’s bedstraw and angelica.

The Northern Reservoir is situated immediately south of the military road. The aqueduct passes under the road and runs along the eastern side of the water body.  The species richness found in the water channel north of here continues into this section.  The eastern boundary is formed by a narrow shelter belt of trees, mainly Scots pine and larch with other species of mature trees growing in the south-western corner.

The grass banks of the Lower Reservoir are relatively species-poor, although devil’s bit scabious; a species associated with damp grasslands, is locally frequent.  There is also less marginal vegetation here than elsewhere at Whittle Dene.  The aqueduct and the coniferous plantation define the eastern side, although the habitats are not as diverse.

A shelterbelt of Scots pine and larch, with the aqueduct, alongside continues along the north eastern boundary of the Southern Reservoir, which, in the south eastern corner merges into a thicket with mixed conifers and broadleaves.

There is a shelterbelt of Scots pine with larch and a hawthorn hedge along the northern boundary of the Western Reservoir.  Whittle Burn flows along the southern border and the most abundant marginal plant is reed canary grass, which chokes the burn for much of this stretch.  Although overgrown, some watercress, brooklime, water plantain, marsh marigold, meadowsweet and flote grass also grow here.

The mown bankside vegetation is relatively diverse and species like greater burnet (which is at its northern limit in Northumberland and rarely found north of the River Coquet), lady’s mantle, primrose, bird’s foot trefoil and barren strawberry contributing to the sward.  There is little aquatic marginal vegetation in the Western Reservoir.  However, the Western Sub Reservoir has a lot of swamp vegetation and an extensive area of marsh horsetail dominates the south eastern corner.  There is a small area of Scots pine and larch plantation immediately west of the Western Sub Reservoir. 

Birds
By the end of March, the first sand martins can usually be seen over the reservoir.  Summer visitors continue to increase throughout April and May when large numbers of swallows and swifts gather to feed over the surface of the water.  This is also a good time to see the recently arrived yellow wagtails with flocks of 40 having been counted in recent years.  These like the short grassy embankments and the adjacent arable fields and are often accompanied by the rarer white wagtail.  Spring migration has also produced records of black-necked grebe, garganey, marsh harrier, osprey and temminck's stint.

Breeding birds are not numerous because of disturbance by shore anglers but usually include great-crested grebe, tufted duck, common sandpiper, tawny owl, grey and yellow wagtails, sedge warbler and reed bunting.  Ringed and little ringed plover have both bred here when water levels were low.  Post breeding flocks of tufted duck can increase in number to over 200 in July and August.

The autumn is possibly Whittle Dene's most productive time.  Regular visitors include little stint, curlew, common sandpiper, dunlin, ruff, spotted redshank, greenshank, green and wood sandpiper.  Early autumn also sees a build up in the number of wildfowl present.
 
In the winter, there is an abundance of mallard and wigeon with small numbers of teal, pintail, goldeneye and goosander.  The continuous flow of water through the reservoirs prevents Whittle Dene from readily freezing over and as a result the reservoirs often attract large flocks of wildfowl during very severe weather.

Flocks of 300-400 greylag geese occasionally gather on the adjacent fields.  These may include small numbers of pink-footed geese, white-fronts, barnacles and the rarely seen bean goose.  Scaup and smew are both fairly regular winter visitors.  Other winter records include red-throated diver, black-throated diver, red-necked grebe, ferruginous duck, long-tailed duck, glaucous gull, rock pipit, waxwing and snow bunting.

Other wildlife
The Red squirrel, which is of national importance, can occasionally be seen in the plantation woodlands around Whittle Dene Reservoirs. Although isolated from other woodlands, the linear plantations provide plenty of conifer seed for the squirrels to eat. The wider diversity of trees and berried shrubs recently planted will help to improve this site for red squirrels.

Although much of the marginal vegetation is controlled for fishing purposes, aquatic species are diverse and extensive around the Great Northern, Sub Northern and Sub Western Reservoirs.  This provides cover, and, combined with the populations of both fish and freshwater mussels, ideal habitat for the otter, which is a species of national importance.  Empty shells or shell fragments around the margins of the Sub-Northern and Great Southern Reservoirs provide good evidence that freshwater mussels (which are themselves of national importance) have been eaten by otters.

Wildlife corridors along watercourses and hedges to the north of the site together with the many fields in the area make this good badger habitat, and there have been numerous sitings.  The linear coniferous plantations also allow easy movement for roe deer which are a locally important  species.
 
During the summer months, pipistrelle and whiskered/brandts bats all roost in Whittle Dene Cottages.  Pipistrelle bats are often seen feeding over the grassland area which lies to the south of the conifer plantation and north of the B6318, at dusk.  Noctule bats were also recorded during a bat survey carried out during 1999 and may be using nearby trees as a roost.

The embankments between the reservoirs are covered in herbs and provide ideal feeding sites for butterflies such as small white, large white, green-veined white, small copper and meadow brown.  An interesting historical record is that in 1947 a clouded yellow, a rare migrant to the north at that time, was recorded at Whittle Dene.