Portrack Marsh Nature Reserve facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Portrack Marsh Nature Reserve |
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IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape)
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West Water in Portrack Marsh Nature Reserve
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| Location | Stockton-on-Tees Borough, United Kingdom |
| Area | 50 acres (20 ha) |
| Operator | Tees Valley Wildlife Trust |
Portrack Marsh Nature Reserve is a special place covering about 50 acres (20 hectares) of land. It's located on the north side of the River Tees, near Stockton-on-Tees. This reserve is super important because it's the last remaining wetland area along the lower part of the River Tees. Wetlands are like nature's sponges, full of water and amazing wildlife!
The reserve is surrounded by different things, like a road, an old railway line, and the River Tees itself. You can also find the Tees Barrage White Water Course and a water treatment site nearby. The Tees Valley Wildlife Trust helps manage this reserve, working with Northumbrian Water who own part of the land. The western and northern parts of the reserve are older marshland. The rest of the area has several ponds that were made by people. The reserve is about 10 meters (33 feet) above sea level.
Contents
History of the Reserve
How Portrack Marsh Was Formed
The land where Portrack Marsh Nature Reserve sits used to be inside a big bend of the old River Tees. In the 1830s, a new shortcut called the "Portrack Cut" was made through the marshes. This made the river shorter and easier for boats to use. The old river bend became an oxbow lake, which is a U-shaped lake formed when a river changes its course.
Part of this old oxbow lake was filled in over time. By the 1970s, a lake called Portrack Lake was lost. Some of this land was bought by Northumbrian Water for a water treatment plant. They agreed that some of the land would be set aside and looked after as a nature reserve.
Protecting the Wildlife
The Tees Valley Wildlife Trust was started in 1979. They now own the western half of the reserve. In 1992, Northumbrian Water created new ponds in their part of the reserve. Over the years, many groups have helped fund projects at the reserve. These include The Environment Trust, the Heritage Lottery Fund, and Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council. These projects help protect the animals and plants living there.
Exploring the Reserve
Ponds and Pathways
Portrack Marsh Nature Reserve has several ponds, each with its own name. In the north, you'll find Mallard Water. To the east is Teal Lake. Along the River Tees, on the southern side, are Willow Pond and Darter Ponds. Darter Ponds even has a special platform for dipping into the water! In the western part of the reserve, there's West Water, which has small islands. Some of these ponds are shallow, while others are quite deep. The reserve also has areas of grassland, especially in the northeast and far west.
There are many pathways around the reserve for visitors to explore. Sometimes, parts of the pathways can get flooded. When this happens, there are special boardwalks to help you get around. The amount of water in the ponds can also change which birds you might see visiting the reserve.
Amazing Wildlife at Portrack Marsh
Birds of the Reserve
Portrack Marsh Nature Reserve is a fantastic spot for birdwatching! Over 150 different types of birds have been seen here. About 90 to 100 different species are recorded every year. Some of the many birds that have visited, lived, or even raised their young here include:
- Blackcap
- Black-tailed godwit
- Bluethroat
- Bullfinch
- Canada goose
- Chiffchaff
- Common sandpiper
- Common snipe
- Common tern
- Coot
- Dunlin
- Gadwall
- Goldeneye
- Grasshopper warbler
- Great white egret
- Green sandpiper
- Greenshank
- Grey wagtail
- Jack snipe
- Kingfisher
- Knot
- Lapwing
- Lesser redpoll
- Little grebe
- Little ringed plover
- Long-eared owl
- Mallard
- Moorhen
- Mute swan
- Osprey
- Pectoral sandpiper
- Penduline tit
- Pochard
- Redshank
- Ring-billed gull
- Ringed plover
- Ruff
- Sandpiper
- Scaup
- Sedge warbler
- Short-eared owl
- Shoveller
- Reed warbler
- Siskin
- Spotted crake
- Stonechat
- Teal
- Tufted duck
- Turnstone
- Wheatear
- Whinchat
- Whitethroat
- Widgeon
- Willow warbler
- Wood sandpiper
Insects and Other Animals
The reserve is also famous for its many different kinds of butterflies. You might spot insects like:
- Butterflies: Common blue, dingy skipper, grayling
- Dragonflies: Broad-bodied chaser, lesser emperor
Interestingly, tiny weevils were put into the ponds. Their job was to help control a type of pond weed called azolla.
As for other animals, urban foxes have been seen in the area. There was also a project to introduce harvest mousees to the site, along with special nesting boxes. It's not clear yet how successful this project has been.
Plants of the Reserve
The reserve is home to many different plants. You can find alder trees and mature hawthorn bushes. Some of these hawthorn bushes were even planted by local schools!
Other plants that grow here include:
- Alsike clover
- Bee orchid
- Cornflower
- Japanese honeysuckle
- Lucern
- Marsh orchid
- Medicago
- Melilot
- Northern marsh-orchid
- Wild carrot
- Wild parsnip
In the ponds, you'll find water plants like azolla pond weed, common reed, phragmites, and reedmace. All these plants help make the reserve a perfect home for its many animals.
