Sandhurst to Owlsmoor Bogs and Heaths

Sandhurst to Owlsmoor Bogs and Heaths

Site of Special Scientific Interest
Location within Berkshire
Location	Berkshire
Grid reference	SU 843 628 [1]
Coordinates	51°21′25″N0°47′20″W / 51.357°N 0.789°W / 51.357; -0.789
Interest	Biological
Area	85.8 hectares (212 acres) [1]
Notification	1983 [1]
Location map	Magic Map

Sandhurst to Owlsmoor Bogs and Heaths is an 85.8-hectare (212-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) on the northern outskirts of Sandhurst in Berkshire. ^{[1] [2]} Part of the SSSI is Wildmoor Heath nature reserve, which is managed by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust. ^[3] and the SSSI is part of Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area. ^[4]

Geography

Wildmoor Heath is situated on a slope and features wet and dry lowland heath and valley bog, plus pine and broadleaved woodland. ^[3]

History

In 1975 the site was designated a site of special scientific interest (SSSI). ^[5] Wildmoor Heath nature reserve was formed in 1998 by combining land at Edgbarrow Woods, Owlsmoor Bog, and Wildmoor Bottom. ^[6]

Fauna

The site has the following animals: ^{[3] [7] [5] [6] [8]}

Mammals

• Red fox
• Roe deer
• Dexter cattle

Reptiles and amphibians

• Vipera berus
• Grass snake
• Anguis fragilis
• Viviparous lizard

Birds

• Common chiffchaff
• Great spotted woodpecker
• European green woodpecker
• European nightjar
• Common snipe
• European stonechat
• Willow warbler
• Dartford warbler
• Woodlark
• Eurasian bullfinch
• Eurasian hobby
• Common kingfisher

Invertebrates

• Hairy dragonfly
• Common hawker
• Golden-ringed dragonfly
• Libellula depressa
• Keeled skimmer
• Beautiful demoiselle
• Banded demoiselle
• Lestes sponsa
• Erythromma najas
• Large red damselfly
• Blue-tailed damselfly
• Enallagma cyathigerum
• Azure damselfly
• Southern hawker
• Brown hawker
• Migrant hawker
• Emperor dragonfly
• Downy emerald
• Brilliant emerald
• Black-tailed skimmer
• Four-spotted chaser
• Sympetrum danae
• Ruddy darter
• Common darter
• Silver-studded blue
• Stag beetle
• Raft spider
• bog bush cricket
• Saturniinae
• Argiope bruennichi

Flora

The site has the following flora: ^{[5] [7]}

Trees

• Birch
• Pine
• Fraxinus
• Maple
• Quercus robur
• Malus sylvestris
• Sorbus torminalis

Plants

• Erica tetralix
• Molinia caerulea
• Drosera rotundifolia
• Drosera intermedia
• Rhynchospora alba
• Carex pulicaris
• Narthecium ossifragum
• Pinguicula vulgaris
• Calluna
• Eriophorum angustifolium
• Succisa pratensis
• Scutellaria minor
• Hypericum elodes
• Lychnis flos-cuculi
• Succisa pratensis

References

1. "Designated Sites View: Sandhurst to Owlsmoor Bogs and Heaths". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
2. "Map of Sandhurst to Owlsmoor Bogs and Heaths". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
3. "Wildmoor Heath". Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
4. "Designated Sites View: Thames Basin Heaths". Special Protection Areas. Natural England. Archived from the original on 23 November 2018. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
5. "Site Name: Sandhurst to Owlsmoor Bogs and Heaths" (PDF). Retrieved 14 April 2017.
6. "The Dragonflies in Bracknell Forest Borough: Overview for the Period 1993 to 2012" (PDF). John Ward-Smith. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
7. "Condition of SSSI Units for Site Sandhurst to Owlsmoor Bogs and Heaths SSSI". Natural england. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
8. "Wildmoor Heath: Parks to visit - Bracknell Forest Council". Bracknell-forest.gov.uk. Retrieved 14 April 2017.