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Godmanchester Gravel Pits
In Cambridgeshire, east of
Huntingdon at Godmanchester and 1 mile from where I live, Lafarge
Aggregates have created a spectacular series of lakes and
reedbeds from former quarries. Together with bordering woods
and grassland, these waters form a 250-acre reserve on the
bank of the River Great Ouse where water meadows stretch for
miles in each direction. Not surprisingly, these Gravel Pits
have become a special place for wildlife and they won a European
Aggregates Association Award in 2000. Former Prime
Minister and local MP, John Major, described the management
of these pits as:
"a classic
example of the thinking of Rio – thinking globally, acting
locally."
The Godmanchester Gravel Pits
are a proven refuge for rare species but, just as important,
they are a haven for familiar animals and plants in a shrinking world
. Everything must be safeguarded.
The lakes and margins
attract large numbers of wintering wildfowl such as teal,
shoveller, tufted duck, widgeon and pochard. They are joined
by a variety of waders and gulls. Herons are common and
bitterns appear in winter. From spring onwards, the
surrounding woods and scrub are full of warblers and other
songbirds, and the open water is home for 20 species of
dragonflies. Over 300 species of plants and 200 species of
moths have been recorded.
< view of ducks on lake - wait for next winter!>
A view that will be
scrutinised by birdwatchers looking for the unusual: perhaps
smew or goldeneye.
In the chill of early
morning, a dragonfly must bask in the sun to keep its flight
muscles warm enough to launch a sudden attack on passing
insect prey.
With this amazing
diversity of wildlife, it is not surprising that I often
wander through the water meadows to "The Pits" and
return home along the river bank, especially in the early morning
when the air is fresh, the still waters are shrouded in mist
and the birds have not yet been disturbed. Whether walking
down one of the footpaths, leaning over a fence by one of
the lakes or holed up in a hide, I am bound to see some
natural history "happening" that will whet my
curiosity to find out its meaning.
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Here are some Nature Notes based
on the Gravel Pits and River Great Ouse.
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