Potteric Carr Nature Reserve
Encyclopedia
Potteric Carr Nature Reserve is a nature reserve
at Potteric Carr
, south of Doncaster
, South Yorkshire
, England and managed by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
as their flagship - and largest - reserve.
The reserve was established in 1968, and since then has been developed and extended and now covers 200 hectares (494.2 acre). It comprises a mixture of habitats
from open water and marsh through reed fen, wet woodland (carr land) and scrub. In places, there are remnants of the kind of habitat that existed 300 years ago.
The reserve has around 8 kilometres (5 mi) of paths (5 kilometres (3.1 mi) accessible to wheelchairs, unassisted), 14 viewing hides
(10 suitable for people with disabilities) and a field centre with a café, where local produce is used whenever possible.
The reserve is bisected by railway lines and has been designated by Natural England
as a Site of Special Scientific Interest
(SSSI) for its reed fen communities.
s. Around 70 species breed there, including Common Kingfisher, Grasshopper Warbler
, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
and Woodcock
.
Marsh plants include Great Spearwort, Lesser Water-plantain, Lesser Reedmace
, Greater Tussock Sedge, Purple Small-reed, Great Water Dock, Yellow-wort and Traveller's-joy.
Twenty eight species of butterfly have been recorded including White-letter Hairstreak
, Purple Hairstreak
and Brown Argus
. Seventeen of the twenty species of dragonfly recorded are known to have bred.
Within the reserve is Sedum House, the head office of the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers.
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
at Potteric Carr
Potteric Carr
Potteric Carr is a large area of land to the south east of Doncaster, in Yorkshire, England, some 3,000 acres in size.- History :One of the earliest references to Potteric Carr comes from the itinerary of Leland c.1540:...
, south of Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
, South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
, England and managed by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust is a wildlife trust covering the traditional county of Yorkshire, England.The Trust is part of the UK-wide partnership of 47 Wildlife Trusts.It was formed in 1946, as the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Trust, essentially to preserve its first nature reserve Askham Bog on the...
as their flagship - and largest - reserve.
The reserve was established in 1968, and since then has been developed and extended and now covers 200 hectares (494.2 acre). It comprises a mixture of habitats
Habitat (ecology)
A habitat is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animal, plant or other type of organism...
from open water and marsh through reed fen, wet woodland (carr land) and scrub. In places, there are remnants of the kind of habitat that existed 300 years ago.
The reserve has around 8 kilometres (5 mi) of paths (5 kilometres (3.1 mi) accessible to wheelchairs, unassisted), 14 viewing hides
Bird hide
A bird hide is a shelter, often camouflaged, that is used to observe wildlife, especially birds, at close quarters. Although hides were once built chiefly as hunting aids, they are now commonly found in parks and wetlands for the use of bird watchers, ornithologists and other observers who do not...
(10 suitable for people with disabilities) and a field centre with a café, where local produce is used whenever possible.
The reserve is bisected by railway lines and has been designated by Natural England
Natural England
Natural England is the non-departmental public body of the UK government responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, freshwater and marine environments, geology and soils, are protected and improved...
as a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
(SSSI) for its reed fen communities.
Wildlife
Among notable bird species at the reserve are overwintering BitternBittern
Bitterns are a classification of birds in the heron family, Ardeidae, a family of wading birds. Species named bitterns tend to be the shorter-necked, often more secretive members of this family...
s. Around 70 species breed there, including Common Kingfisher, Grasshopper Warbler
Grasshopper Warbler
The Grasshopper Warbler, Locustella naevia, is an Old World warbler in the grass warbler genus Locustella. It breeds across much of temperate Europe and Asia. It is migratory, wintering from northwest Africa to India....
, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is a member of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is assigned to the genus Dendrocopos ....
and Woodcock
Woodcock
The woodcocks are a group of seven or eight very similar living species of wading birds in the genus Scolopax. Only two woodcocks are widespread, the others being localized island endemics. Most are found in the Northern Hemisphere but a few range into Wallacea...
.
Marsh plants include Great Spearwort, Lesser Water-plantain, Lesser Reedmace
Typha angustifolia
Typha angustifolia L., , is a perennial herbaceous plant of genus Typha. This cattail is an "obligate wetland" species that is commonly found in the northern hemisphere in brackish locations...
, Greater Tussock Sedge, Purple Small-reed, Great Water Dock, Yellow-wort and Traveller's-joy.
Twenty eight species of butterfly have been recorded including White-letter Hairstreak
White-letter Hairstreak
The White-letter Hairstreak is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.-Appearance, behaviour and distribution:A dark little butterfly that spends the majority of its life in the tree tops, feeding on honeydew, making it best observed through binoculars. The uppersides are a dark brown with a small...
, Purple Hairstreak
Purple Hairstreak
The Purple Hairstreak Neozephyrus quercus is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae distributed throughout much of Europe. North Africa, Asia Minor, Caucasus and Transcaucasia....
and Brown Argus
Brown Argus
The Brown Argus is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.-Appearance, behaviour and distribution:Although one of the "Blues" both sexes are brown on the uppersides with a band of orange spots at the border of each wing...
. Seventeen of the twenty species of dragonfly recorded are known to have bred.
Within the reserve is Sedum House, the head office of the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers.