Winnall Moors features
Wildlife features
- In July the rare green-flowered helleborine is found under willow trees in the southern part of the site.
- The River Itchen has distinctive plant life such as water crowfoot and lesser water-parsnip. On its banks purple loosestrife, yellow flag and various sedges provide cover, which is used in spring by nesting birds such as little grebe, mute swan and mallard.
- The tall fen in the southern end of the reserve are dominated by common reed and reed canary grass interspersed with fleabane, meadowsweet and fen bedstraw. Here, amongst the reeds in spring, reed and sedge warblers breed in large numbers.
- Southern marsh orchids are plentiful among the yellow rattle, eyebright and fen bedstraw of the northern hay meadows.
- Unusually for a chalk stream the Itchen has many different species of breeding dragon and damselfly including the broad-bodied chaser, common darter and banded demoiselles.
- In winter gadwall and wigeon can by found on the open water and snipe over the wet pasture.
Other features
- Brick lined hatches and field patterns of the former water meadows can still be seen.
Management
- The rushy pastures on the eastern side of the north reserve, are grazed with cattle from April until October, after which it becomes too wet for any stock.
- The meadows are left to flower before hay is taken at the end of July, then cattle and sheep are brought on until October to graze any late grass growth.
- Thanks to a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund a 5 year programme of improvement work commenced in autumn 2008. This involves:
- Returning some water channels to a more natural flow pattern to benefit brown trout, otter and water vole
- Repairing sluices and hatches to raise ground water levels to benefit waders such as lapwing, snipe, and redshank
- Removing some trees to recreate the open landscape that the moors had in the past
- Improving public access and information panels around parts of the site
Make a donation by phone
You can text a donation from your mobile phone by dialling 70070 and texting WINM10 followed by the amount you want to donate. E.G. WINM10 £5
