Issue
18
Page
29
Those attending the meeting were Ron Boyce, Rosemary Hill, Roy Gillibrand, Ellen Pisolkar and Paul Wilkinson.
Fens Pools form part of the The Buckpool and Fens Pools Nature Reserve, a green wedge within an urban landscape.
Largely through natural succession, the area has transformed from a desolate scene of abandoned waste from coal and iron industries and clay extraction to a landscape rich in wildlife and appreciated by local people. There are three interconnected large pools (Grove, Middle and Fens) established in late 18th C to feed the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal system and the disused Fens Branch of the Stourbridge Canal (Wide Waters). The site has been designated a Special Area of Conservation and SSSI for its nationally important population of Great Crested Newts. To improve the breeding habitat for newts, about 30 new ponds have been created around the site in the last 25 years. There are good records of birds and amphibians but the Senior Warden, Paul Hancox, is keen to find out more about the invertebrate life of the pools.
We started dipping in one of the newly created pools Upper Round Pool – a small, shallow pool created 10 years ago with abundant stonewort. Only Radix balthica was found here.
The next site, Round Pool, more than 30 years old, was ephemeral until 1998 but is now permanently filled with water. Shallow with plenty of weed, this pool supported a fair number of mollusc species.
Farmers Pool is one of the older pools on the site and, like the previous two pools, is fed by groundwater. An attractive little pool, we were slow to leave but with so many waterbodies pending….
The next pool, last year one of the most interesting for invertebrates, was found to be polluted with milky effluent so we gave that one a miss and hurried on to the larger pools. Bithynia leachii was found in both large pools and Wide Waters revealed Viviparus viviparus.
With so many waterbodies in this area and also differing habitats and water sources, we were only able to dip our toes into an understanding of the distribution of mollusc species.
We were delighted that the trip provided an opportunity for Roy to fill in gaps in his production of an Atlas for Staffordshire. We were joined for the day by Paul Wilkinson whose intimate knowledge of the site and enthusiastic support made for a most enjoyable outing. At one point three local birdwatchers were inspired to join us for some dipping and marvelled at the treasures hidden beneath the waters. Perhaps some day their binoculars will be supplemented by sieves and trays?
(We would like to thank Paul Hancox, The Senior Warden at Buckpool and Fens Pool Nature Reserve for his help in the preparation of this visit)
Species recorded
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Upper Round Pool
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Round Pool
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Farmers Pool
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Middle Pool
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Grove Pool
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Wide Waters
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SO92182
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SO92154
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SO92028
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SO91404
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SO91300
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SO91323
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|
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88758
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88766
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89037
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86604
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88506
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88384
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Acroloxus lacustris
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* |
*
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*
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||
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Anisus vortex
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* | * |
*
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*
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||
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Bithynia tentaculata
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* | * |
*
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*
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|
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Bythina leachii
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*
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*
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||
|
Dreissena polymorpha
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|
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*
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|
|
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Gyraulus albus
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|
|
|
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*
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Gyraulus crista
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|
|
|
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*
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|
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Hippeutis complanatus
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*
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|
|
|
|
|
Lymnaea stagnalis
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* | * |
*
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*
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||
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Musculium lacustre
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* | * | * |
*
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|
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Physa sp.
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* |
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*
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*
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||
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Pisidium casertanum
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|
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*
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Pisidium milium
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|
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*
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||
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Pisidium nitidum
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|
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*
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|
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Pisidium subtruncatum
|
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*
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*
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|
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Planorbarius corneus
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*
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|
|
|
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Planorbis carinatus
|
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*
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Planorbis planorbis
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* | * | * |
*
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Potamopyrgus antipodarum
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* | * |
*
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|
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Radix balthica
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* | * | * |
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|
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Sphaerium corneum
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* | * | * | * |
*
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Succinea putris
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*
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Viviparus viviparous
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*
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