Local Wildlife Site

Wildlife

The plant life of the old sea walls includes several regionally scarce species; corn parsley, knotted hedge-parsley and narrow-leaved pepperwort. The wetland plant life is also diverse, including horned pondweed, wild celery, lesser reedmace, pink water-speedwell and marsh and water docks, which are all rare in London. Much of the grassland is made up of characteristic Thames grazing marsh plants, typified by abundant meadow barley. There are also extensive areas of scrub, tall herbs and vegetation typical of rough ground within the Crossness Sewage Treatment Works.The site is also important for its breeding and overwintering birds. Breeding species include teal, lapwing, reed warbler, sedge warbler, little ringed plover, barn owl, reed bunting, linnet and skylark. Dunlin, pintail, snipe, redshank, black-tailed godwit and green sandpiper are all regular winter visitors.The ditches also support a large and important population of water voles, as well as the fish rudd and tench. Insects on the site include the common emerald damselfly and Roesel's bush-cricket.

Facilities

Attendance at events on Crossness Nature Reserve requires membership of the Friends Scheme. Further events are held at Crossness Southern Marshes, which are available to everybody. Contact the Crossness Conservation Warden.