Lower Derwent Valley NNR
The Lower Derwent Valley NNR comprises a series of flood meadows, pastures and woodlands.
County: East Riding of Yorkshire
Main habitats: Lowland Grassland
Area: 467 Ha
Although most NNRs are managed by Natural England, 88 are wholly or partly managed by other bodies approved by Council, under Section 35 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Parts of the Lower Derwent reserve are managed by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and the Carstairs Countryside Trust.
The Lower Derwent Valley NNR supports a rich diversity of plant species and outstanding populations of breeding and wintering birds. In light of this, the reserve has been declared a Special Protection Area (SPA
) and a Ramsar site.
What to see
Plant life: the reserve's wetter areas support stands of reed sweetgrass and bladder sedge, together with marsh stitchwort and tubular water-dropwort. Drier fields are rich in sedges and characteristic grasses, including meadow fescue, tall fescue and meadow foxtail. The rich herb flora includes marsh valerian, sneezewort, marsh arrowgrass and notably, early marsh and green-winged orchid, and the rare marsh pea. Aquatic habitats are also important. Ditches contain species such as water violet, greater water parsnip and flat-stalked pondweed.
Birdlife: the site supports a rich breeding bird community with more than 80 species recorded in recent years. Breeding wildfowl are of particular importance, with 13 species found here including the pintail, gargany and gadwall. Breeding waders seen in the area include curlew, lapwing, snipe and redshank.
In winter the grasslands support nationally important numbers of teal, Bewick's swan, wigeon, pochard and golden plover.
Mammals: the noctule, pipistrelle and Daubenton's bat are seen regularly, with occasional sightings of the brown long-eared bat. Brown hares are very common at the site as are common and pygmy shrew. There is a large population of field voles, and bank and water voles may also be seen.
