BBC Wildlife - UK (2020-08)

Bullhead: Jack Perks/FLPA

20 BBC Wildlife August 2020

WILDAUGUST

Watercrowfoot

Therearesevenspecies

ofthesebeautifulwhite-

floweredbuttercups,

whichgrowinstillor

runningwater.Somehave

bothfloating(laminar)

leavesandsubmerged,

thread-like(capillary)

leaves.However,the

classicchalkstream

species,suchasriver

watercrowfootandchalk

streamwatercrowfoot,

havejustthesubmerged

ones.Theirlargebeds

area signofa healthy

watercourse.

Watercress

Thissaladsectionstaple

growsabundantlyinthe

wildalongmanychalk

streams.It’sdistinctive

foritssprawling,hollow

stems,whichbearthe

familiarglossy-green

pairedleaflets.Clusters

ofwhiteflowersatopthe

stemsareobvious during

highsummer.

Grayling

Fondlyknownasthe

‘ladyofthestream’,this

silveryfreshwaterfishhas

a huge, multi-coloured,

chequereddorsalfin– its

mostdistinctivefeature.

Thespeciesprefersclean,

fast-flowingriverswith

gravellybeds,wherethe

femalescandigtheir

spawninghollows known

asredds.

Bullhead

A broad,heavyheadand

wedge-shapedbody

helpthebullheadtohide

underthestonesofclean,

fast-movingstreams.Its

spinydorsalandpectoral

finsoerextraprotection

againstpredators,which

includekingfishersand

otters.Preferringto

remain concealed by day,

thediminutivebullhead

thendartsoutatnightto

grabunsuspectinginsects

andcrustaceans.

Kingsher

Nolargerthana sparrow,

thespritelykingfisher

issurelyoneofour

mostcelebratedand

sought-afterspecies.

Witha dagger-likebill,

electric-bluebackand

orangeunderparts,it is

unmistakable.Thebirdis

morecommonthanyou

mightthinkalongmany

lowlandwatercourses,and

chalkstreams– withtheir

healthypopulationsof fish

• suit it perfectly.

1 SkerneWetlands, northofHull,

protectsaround2kmofWestBeck,

theUK’smostnortherlychalkstream

thatrisesintheYorkshireWolds.The

siteismanagedby the Yorkshire

Wildlife Trust.

2 BayeldEstateinNorthNorfolkis

a greatplacetoenjoyperhapsthebest

stretchoftheRiverGlaven,whichruns

forjust17kmfromsourcetosea.You’re

likelytoseedamselflies, dragonflies

and sea trout.

3 RackMarsh, nearNewbury,isa

snapshotofwhattheLambournriver

valleywouldhavelookedlike 100 years

ago.It’scaredforbytheBerks, Bucks

& Oxon Wildlife Trust.

4 WinnallMoors, justoutside

Winchestercitycentre,ismanagedby

theHampshireandIsleofWightWildlife

Trust.Atitsheartisa stretchof the

crystal-clear River Itchen.

5 AvonValleyLocalNature

ReserveinWiltshireismanagedby

SalisburyCityCouncil,withanextensive

boardwalkthatrunsalongsideboth

theRiverAvonandits adjacent

water meadows.

Don’tgowithoutpolarising

sunglasses– they’lltaketheglare

othewater,whichwillhelpyou

spotanyshoalsoffishemerging

fromtheaquaticvegetationto

bathe in the sun’s warming rays.

Butassouthernandeastern

Englandis themostpopulatedand

mostintensivelyfarmedpartofour

landscape,it’sperhapsunsurprising

thatchalkstreamsandriversreflecta

longhistoryofhumanintervention.

Chalkwatercourseshaveprovidedwater

fordrinking,farmingandindustryfor

centuries.Today,theiraquiferssupply

70 percentofthesouth-east’s public

drinking water.

Inadditiontoincreasingly

unsustainablewaterabstractionpractices

overthelast 100 years,effluentdischarge

andphysicalmodificationforland

drainageandflooddefencehavealso

contributedtoa significantdeclinein

waterquality.TherecentWWFreport,for

instance,revealedthesoberingstatistic

thatjusta quarterofallstreamswerein

goodecologicalhealth.

Withexpensiverealestateandprime

anglingspotsdominatingmanychalky

watercourses,naturalistsmustbe

preparedtobedeniedaccesstosomeof

thebeststretches.Butwiththecitiesof

Winchester,SalisburyandNorwich,to

pickbutthreeexamples,allpositioned

alongchalkstreamsandrivers,youcan

still access some lovely riverine walks.

AWWFreportrevealed

thesoberingstatistic

thatjustaquarterofall

streamswereingood

ecological health.

CHOICE LOCATIONS

(^54)
2
3
1
SPECIES TO LOOK OUT FOR
Bullheadsgrow
upto12cmand
hide amid stones.