Castle Bottom to Yateley and Hawley Commons facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
Yateley Common
|
|
| Area of Search | Hampshire |
|---|---|
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 922.7 hectares (2,280 acres) |
| Notification | 1993 |
| Location map | Magic Map |
Castle Bottom to Yateley and Hawley Commons is a very special place for nature. It covers a huge area of about 922.7 hectares (2,280 acres) in Hampshire, north of Fleet. This area is known as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, or SSSI for short. This means it's protected because of its amazing wildlife and habitats.
A part of this area, about 30.8 hectares (76 acres), is even more special. It's called Castle Bottom and is a National Nature Reserve. This whole site is also part of the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area. This makes it super important for protecting wild birds.
Why is This Place So Special?
This area is a mix of open heathland and conifer forests. It's like a giant outdoor home for many different animals and plants. The main reason it's so important is because of the rare birds and insects that live here.
Amazing Birds
You can find some really important birds at Castle Bottom to Yateley and Hawley Commons. These include the Dartford warbler, woodlark, and nightjar. The Dartford warbler population here is especially important around the world. These birds need the heathland to survive and raise their young.
Incredible Insects
This place is also a paradise for insects, especially dragonflies and damselflies. There are 19 different types of these beautiful flying insects here. That's almost half of all the types found in the whole of Britain! You might also spot a very rare fly called the Myopa fasciata. It's a type of conopid fly that is hard to find anywhere else in the UK.
