Gazen Salts Wildlife

Birdlife

There are many resident species of bird which are seen almost daily. Kingfishers, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Tawny Owl, Sparrowhawks, Long Tailed Tits, Blue and Great Tits, Robin, Dunnock, Chaffinches, Jay, Wren, Blackbirds and Song Thrushes, Pheasant, Teal, Herons are a likely sight. Cormorants frequently pass overhead very occasionally visiting the main lake. Mallard and Moorhens gather at the lake too ever hopeful to be fed.

Seasonal changes bring the delight of new arrivals. During the spring and summer these include Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps, Garden Warblers, Turtle Doves, Reed and Sedge Warblers. As autumn and winter approach the resident birds are joined by Goldcrests, Redwings, Fieldfares, Greylag geese, Tufted Duck, Shoveler, Pochard, Woodcock and the occasional Tree creeper.

Less frequent visitors to Gazen Salts include Barn Owl, Kestrel, Buzzard, Hen harrier, Ring necked Parakeet, Bullfinch and Grey Wagtail and many more besides.

By far the most conspicuous residents are the foxes and Grey Squirrels which breed most years. Foxes can often be seen in Gallows Field (the rough field adjacent to the entrance to the reserve), in early summer cubs are frequently seen playing in early evening.

If walking quietly a long those paths which border the many waterways it is quite possible to see Water Voles hearing a characteristic plop as they disappear in to the water. Water shrews are also present but seldom seen. Field and Bank voles, Common and Pygmy Shrews, Field and Wood mice are all hidden in the dense vegetation. Stoats, weasels, Hedgehogs, Moles and Bats are also present.

Recorded first in 1985 and now the most common butterfly at Gazen the Speckled Wood can be seen from spring through to autumn even on cloudy days. It is a frequent sight to see a pair tumbling through the air, this brown butterfly with white spots is a delight to watch.

A variety of species are present through the summer months including Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Comma, Painted Lady, Peacock which can most commonly be seen feeding on buddleia bushes or sunning themselves on brambles. Large, Small and Green-veined Whites, Orange Tips, Holly Blue, Gatekeepers and Meadow Browns are also present in numbers. Less frequently seen species include Skippers, Small Copper, Common Blue and Small Heath.

These breed in the brackish waterways and the single freshwater pond and can be seen throughout the reserve. A delightful addition to the wildlife from May until October is the best time to watch these formidable hunters.

Three species of Damselflies are present the Common and Blue-tailed being the most frequently seen, the third the Banded Demoiselle is seen annually but on few occasions.

Dragonflies are easier to see and species regularly present include the Broad Bodied Chaser, Ruddy Darter, Common Darter, Common Hawker, Southern Hawker, Migrant Hawker and the Hairy Dragonfly.

All of the mature trees were planted as saplings and are largely British species. Predominantly a number of species of Willow compliment the wetland setting. In hedgerows Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Spindle, Geulder Rose, Hazel, Wild Privet, Dog Rose and Sweet Briar provide food, shelter and nesting sites for wildlife. Oak, Wild Service, Ash, Common and Grey Alder, Silver Birch, Wild Cherry, Elm, Hornbeam, Norway and Field Maple, Whitebeam and Elder are seen throughout.

There are some species which are clearly more suited to the garden or park than a natural area these are largely remnants from when areas of the reserve were old allotments. In the area known as the Brambles a cultivated rose Rosa multiflora dominants large areas, providing a profusion of white highly scented blooms love by bees and other insects. Buddleia bushes are still introduced today as a food plant for butterflies, moths and other insects.

There are many species within the reserve, far too many to list. The most popular are spring flowers reflecting the woodland settings. Primroses, Bluebell, Wood Anemone, Winter Aconite, Sweet and Dog Violets provide a beautiful display. Gazen Salts has an on-going wildflower introduction programme for all habitats which includes increasing wetland species such as Purple Loosestrife, Marsh Marigold, Water Avens, Meadowsweet, Gypsywort, Figwort, Soft Rush and Marsh Mallow. Cowslips, Lesser Celandine, Hedgerow and Meadow Cranesbill add to the interest a long foot path verges.

Waterways are largely brackish, fed from a sluice gate connected to the tidal River Stour. These waters support species such as shrimps, Great Diving Beetles, Pond Skaters, and a myriad of beetles and other invertebrates.

The freshwater pond known as Round Pond is where Newts, Frogs, Water Boatmen, Backswimmers can be seen.

Very occasionally a brief sighting of a Slow Worm or Common Lizard may be glimpsed. Grass Snakes are far more common and can often be seen basking in the sunshine or swimming through the waterways.