Local Wildlife Site

Wildlife

The lake supports a diverse range of common breeding and wintering water birds including tufted duck, great crested grebe, mallard, coot and mute swan. It's also used by large numbers of foraging bats. Newly created reeds and other emergent vegetation provide cover for invertebrates and nesting waterfowl while new ponds support a rich mosaic of wetland vegetation. Reed swamp and wet woodland provide suitable habitat for amphibians and invertebrates such as dragonflies. Notable native plant species include dittander, aspen, cyperus sedge, flowering rush and hemp agrimony, most of which are present due to recent replanting. Several large landforms have been recently created near Albany Road and seeded with herb rich neutral grassland and pictorial meadow mixes. These provide good habitat for bees and butterflies including the common blue which is a declining species. The remainder of the park is predominantly tightly mown amenity grassland and scattered trees, but patches of herb rich grassland are present and include abundant bird's foot trefoil, common knapweed and wild carrot. There are also several old sycamore trees and a single black mulberry. The nature area near New Church Road contains a good variety of trees and shrubs, and rough grassland with a reasonable floristic diversity. Elsewhere there are several scattered areas of woodland, scrub and rough neutral grassland that provide habitat for birds such as song thrush and green finch. Intensively managed sports pitches to the east of Peckham Hill Street support winter flocks of fieldfare and redwing as well as large numbers of gulls.

Facilities

Car parking; cafe; picnic area; playground; fishing; cycle track