Tophill Low facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
View from the North Lagoon hide at the Tophill Low nature reserve (taken 30 August 2018)
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| Area of Search | East Riding of Yorkshire, North Yorkshire |
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| Coordinates | 53°55′21″N 0°22′03″W / 53.922431°N 0.36757357°W |
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 34.6225 hectares (85.554 acres) |
| Notification | 1989 |
Tophill Low is a fantastic nature reserve in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It's also a special place called a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This means it's protected because of its amazing wildlife and natural features.
Tophill Low is also an active water treatment works. This plant helps clean water for people to use. It is run by a company called Yorkshire Water. The reserve is right next to the River Hull. It's about 6 miles (10 km) southwest of Driffield. And it's about 3 miles (5 km) east of the village of Watton.
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Discover Tophill Low Nature Reserve
This special site became an SSSI in 1989. It has two large, man-made lakes called reservoirs. These reservoirs are a big part of why Tophill Low is so important. The whole nature reserve is much bigger. It covers a total area of about 300 acres (121 hectares).
Why Tophill Low is Special
Tophill Low is very important for birds. It's one of the few inland lakes in the East Riding of Yorkshire that birds can use in winter. Many different kinds of wildfowl come here. Wildfowl are birds like ducks, geese, and swans. They find a safe place to rest and feed here.
Important Bird Species
The reservoirs at Tophill Low are home to many birds. Some birds are found here in nationally important numbers. This means a lot of them gather here. These include the gadwall, shoveler, and tufted duck.
Other birds are also very important locally. You can often see goldeneye and great crested grebe. There are also many mallard ducks. You might spot pochard, teal, and wigeon too.
Habitats at Tophill Low
The wider nature reserve has many different habitats. A habitat is a natural home for plants and animals. Tophill Low has open grasslands. It also has wet marshes and small ponds. There are also areas of woods.
These different habitats help support over 160 bird species. You can see many different birds throughout the year. Some birds live here all the time. Others visit during their migrations.
