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Nearest
town: Morecambe
Grid reference: SD 407 601, Landranger 97 &
102, Explorer 296
Heysham
Nature Reserve consists of a wide variety of habitats
including open water, reedbed, marsh, Gorse and Hawthorn
scrub, acid and neutral grasslands, heath and tree
and shrub plantations.
The
variety of habitats has produced a great variety of
flowering plants: 215 species recorded including Bee
Orchid and Yellow-wort. These in turn produce the
number and variety of butterflies and day-flying moths
which are such a feature of the reserve in summer.
The 21 species of butterflies include some local or
uncommon ones such as Small Skipper, Grayling and
Small Copper. Butterfly numbers - especially Common
Blue - can be spectacular. Over 200 species of moths
have been recorded.
The
reserve is also important for its dragonflies and
damselflies: 14 species occur, including less common
species such as Ruddy Darter, Emerald Damselfly and
Emperor Dragonfly.
Large
numbers of migrant birds occur on the reserve in certain
types of weather conditions, usually east or southeast
winds with poor visibility. The number of migrants
is certainly enhanced by the 'lighthouse' effect produced
by the power station's many floodlights. The most
obvious 'falls' are of thrush species in October and
Willow Warblers during the last two weeks of April
and the first week of May: migration and ringing studies
are carried out, especially at these times.
Common
bird censuses are undertaken to record the breeding
birds, including Moorhen, Meadow Pipit, Sedge Warbler,
Lesser Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Greenfinch, Linnet,
Grasshopper Warbler, Reed Warbler, Whitethroat and
Willow Warbler, which reflect the range of habitats
found at Heysham. Water Rails, Snipe and Woodcock
overwinter here.
Several
rare species have occurred, notably Wryneck (2000),
Night Heron (1990), Bee-eater (1984), Serin (1990),
Woodchat Shrike (1989), and at least 10 Yellow-browed
Warblers from Siberia.
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