BBC Wildlife - UK (2020-04)

Farburn

Ings:

Dave

Press

and/FLPA;

sand

mart

n:Kostya

Pazyuk/A

amy;

grebes:

Dck

eDuckett/FLPA;

Attenborough

NR:

Aamy;

ader

fly:

Chr

stan

Musat/A

amy;

mnera:

Sabena

Jane

Backb

rd/A

amy

Clockwisefromtop

left:FairburnIngsis

knownforitsbounty

ofavianbiodiversity;

greatcrestedgrebesuse

weedsintheircourtship

dances;Attenborough

NatureReserve;alder

flieslaylargebatches

ofeggsonplants

nearwater;nature

hasreclaimedMinera

quarry;sandmartins

nest in quarried banks.

April 2020 BBC Wildlife 17

WILDAPRIL

physicalfeaturesthattheextraction

processinadvertentlybringsabout.

Manypitsandquarriescontainboth

steepandflatareas,andprovide

extremesofwetnessanddryness,

temperatureandsoilpH.Thecreation

ofunusualoratypicalhabitatsis

believedinmanycasestohaveresulted

ina greaterbiodiversitythanwouldhave

beenencounteredinthefirstplace.

Addtothisthefactthatmanyold

workingshavebeenstrictlyoutof

boundstohumans,duetohealthand

safetyconcerns,andthesites’pulling

poweramongspeciesthatprefera quiet

lifeinstantlyincreases.

Manyabandonedpitsandquarries

havenowbecomeincrediblyimportant

for nature that’s under threat elsewhere.