Wetland habitat restoration at a glacial kettle-hole site - an introduction

We have been working with an estate in south Shropshire completing habitat restoration works at a wetland site that is important both geologically and biologically (a former Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)). Kettle-holes are shallow, sediment-filled bodies of water formed by retreating glaciers (more information here). 

Recent works have included the creation of muddy edge habitat that will benefit the local breeding population of Lapwings Vanellus vanellus that forage at the site, passage wader species including Greenshank Tringa nebularia, Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus, Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos and Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius, in addition to large wintering populations of Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago and Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus.

Future works will include tackling the increasingly dominant New Zealand Pygmy-weed Crassula helmsii, an invasive species which is unfortunately finding the conditions on site very much in its favour, the reduction of encroaching trees to benefit ground-nesting wetland bird species and the installation of bat/bird boxes.

There will be much more about our work at this site to follow in future blog-posts.