The Reed Pond - North Ferriby, East Riding of Yorkshire - Flora and Fauna Information Signs on Waymarking.com

"Although small the Reed Pond is an important site in the ecology of North Ferriby and its immediate area.

The water is brackish. Salt water is allowed to enter from a sluice at the south end, while fresh water enters via channels from springs at the north end. A complex system of pipes, ditches and water chambers regulates the level. Ings Field, lying on the west bank of the pond is one of the few remaining water meadows along the Humber, land allowed to be regularly flooded to regenerate the soil and encourage grass growth for cattle. Nowadays it is used as a hay meadow.

Regular maintenance has to carried out to prevent the pond returning to scrub. Excessive reed growth causes silting up and gradually land-based plants and bushes can take over. Even a small pond needs a variety of habitats, open water, cover and areas of different depth, to suit various species of wildlife.

Vegetation -

The predominant reed is Common Reed, Phragmites australis. It is vigorous and fast growing, needing regular clearance to prevent it from taking over. The main reed bed is basically dry land.

Beneath the surface only a small variety of pond weeds can grow because of the brackish water. On the west bank are some small sedges, including the nationally rare Carex divisa.

Wildlife -

Only sticklebacks and a few eels find the brackish water to their liking, but they sustain many species of water birds. Grey herons and little egrets stalk the margins while little grebes dive tor the sticklebacks, which also occasionally attract cormorants, gulls and common and arctic terns.

Each spring several species breed on the pond: mallard, greylag geese, moorhens and little grebes usually raise small broods, although predation the large number of carrion crows and magpies is a problem. Foxes hunt the area and marsh harriers occasionally visit. Although not often seen, a water rail can be heard squealing from the depths of the reedbed.

In spring and autumn the Humber is a natural migration route for birds. In spring many of our summer visitors stay to breed. Reed warblers nest in the reedbed while chiffchaffs, blackcaps and whitethroats raise several broods in the surrounding trees and bushes. Swallows, house martins, sand martins and swifts nest in the village and use the pond to feed on midges. As winter
approaches redwings and fieldfares gather in flocks and can often be seen as they forage around the surrounding countryside. In winter look out for kingfishers which come down from river valleys to estuaries to find food more easily. The pond is a favourite haunt.

Other ducks, such as goldeneye, pochard, teal, gadwall and tufted duck are occasional visitors, mainly in winter. When the water level is low waders, such as common and green sandpipers, lapwing and snipe, come over from the Humber to feed on the exposed muddy margins.

Birds of prey are regularly seen. Sparrowhawks hunt the trees and hedges, kestrels hover overhead, buzzards soar, and in winter you might see a short-eared owl drifting along the Humber.

Several species of insects live in and around the pond. Butterflies are dependent on the season and weather, but in summer you can expect to see speckled wood, orange tip, holly blue, ringlet, gatekeeper and meadow brown. Dragonflies spend the first year or two of their lives as nymphs in the water, before crawling up reed stems to hatch into adults. Migrant hawker, brown hawker and common darter are the commonest species.

The water is too salty for toads and frogs to breed, although they do try. They breed successfully in small ponds nearby and can often be encountered in damp weather."

SOURCE - info board

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Date Logged Log User Rating   07/09/2021 dtrebilc visited it