Wildlife at Chasewater

Animals at Chasewater

Chasewater is home to a large variety of animals. Whilst walking around the site keep your eyes peeled for Red deer, Muntjac deer, foxes, badgers and a few smaller creatures;

• Invertebrates - these are animals without back bones, it is impossible to name them all because there are simply so many. Most insects and 'creepy crawlies' that you will see today are all invertebrates for example: Spiders, Earwigs, Woodlouse, etc. Try turning over a stone and seeing how many different species you can find - don't forget to replace it because it is someone's home!

• Small mammals - these include most of the animals you will see dashing away from you into the bushes. For example: Rabbits, Rats, Mice, Voles, Shrews, etc

• Amphibians - this group includes animals that tend to like dark, damp places to live, you will see them if you sift through some long grass or look in boggy areas. Examples of Amphibians include: Frogs, Toads and Newts

• Snakes - on this site you are unlikely to find a snake but if you do they would most likely be adders or grass snakes. Grass snakes are not poisonous but unfortunately Adders are. As a recommendation if you see a snake do not approach it because you cannot be too sure which type it is!

Birds on the boating pool

The boating pool at Chasewater is home to a variety of native and non native species. It's the perfect place to feed the birds, especially in the winter months.

Birds on the duck pond include the Mute Swan, Coot, Embden Goose, Moorhen, Mallard, Canada Goose and Aylesbury Duck.

Feed the birds!

While ducks are very partial to bread, it is not the best food for them to eat. Bread can harm waterfowl and lead to problems with their development. It is also low in nutrients, but is filling so birds think they are getting enough food. We recommend using a good quality mix of bird seed. You can pick up a cup of bird seed from the Rangers' Office and Chasewater Innovation Centre for 30p.

Birds on the reservoir and surrounding woodland

At Chasewater we have a massive variety of wildlife, this list is by no means exhaustive but here are some of the birds you may be lucky enough to see on your visit.

• Tits and finches: Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long tailed Tit, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Bullfinch
• Birds of prey and owls: Kestrel, Buzzard, Sparrow Hawk, Little Owl, Tawny Owl
• Woodpeckers: Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker
• Pigeons and Doves: Wood Pigeon, Feral Pigeon, Collared Dove
• Grebes: Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe
• Winter or migratory species: Golden Eye, Teal, Cormorant, Short Eared Owl, Pochard, Goosander, Lapwing, Swallow, Swift, Common Tern
• Wading birds: There are a huge variety of wading birds that can be spotted at different times of the year...... it is worth taking a look across the shoreline and seeing what you can spot!
• Gulls: A large variety of gulls can be spotted in the spectacular gull roost as dusk comes in. If you look closely you may find some rare species joining the roost from time to time.
  

For more information on the latest sightings or the location of the bird feeding table please contact The Park Rangers.

Flora and Fauna

Chasewater was designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its lowland heathland. Lowland heathland is rarer than rainforest! Each patch of heathland at Chasewater has a particular heather species, including ling heather, bell heather and cross leaved heather.

There are too many species to list individually but here are some of the more common plants that you may see on this site:

• Trees: Silver Birch, Willow, Oak, Horse Chestnut, Sweet Chestnut, Ash, Apple, Beech, Hazel
• Shrubs and plants: Heather, Gorse, Bracken, Snap Dragon, Foxglove, Hawthorn, Nettle, Blackberry, Rose, Elderberry, Buddleia, Wild Mint, Grasses, Bull Rush, Daisy, Orchids, Broom.
  

The Rangers are in the process of developing a sensory garden on the South Shore, located near The Rangers Ranch. Come and visit it during the summer months and give your senses a treat.

Life Underwater

As the lake has been drained to accommodate the recent dam engineering works these underwater creatures are most likely to be spotted in Jeffries Swag. Bring your fishing gear and see if you are lucky enough to see or even catch any of the following:

• Fish: Perch, Roach, Carp, Pike, Catfish, Tench, Bream, Chubb, Eel
• Other Creatures: Leech, Crayfish, Mussel and Zebra Mussel, Water boatman, Water louse, Great diving beetle, Pond Skater
  

All of the wildlife on our site are used to the presence of humans but it is very important that you respect that they are wild and their behaviour is entirely unpredictable. Try to look at them and admire them from a distance where you can observe their natural behaviours.