Aquatic life

Aquatic life

The many streams and ponds on The Moors are the home for a variety of aquatic plants and animals, some of which are now scarce in Britain.
Many insects and amphibians lay their eggs in water and in their larval stages spend their time as aquatic organisms. Examples at The Moors include dragonflies such as the Emperor Dragonfly (Anax imperator) and the Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo) and Banded Demoiselle (Agrion splendens), although the latter two both occur in small numbers. For further information on these beautiful and fascinating insects visit the Dragonfly Society’s web site at www.dragonflysoc.org.uk
Common Frogs (Rana temporaria) return to the pools on The Moors in early spring to spawn. Waiting for them are Grass Snakes (Natrix natrix) that like to spend their time in or around ponds and streams where they feed on frogs and small mammals.
	The streams feeding the millpond are the home for small fish, including the Bullhead (Cottus gobio). These small fish are the food for Kingfishers, which can often be seen flying up and down the streams as a flash of blue. They sometimes breed on the Moors, making their nest chambers in an upturned tree root.
The Bullhead, which in the UK is known also as the Miller’s Thumb, is plentiful in Hampshire, but has become quite a scarce fish across Europe as streams have become polluted and small streams canalised. Bullheads are now protected by European law and the UK government has listed it as a species of concern in its national Biodiversity Action Plan

The marginal vegetation and the aquatic environment are the home for many species of snail, including several nationally scarce species. The most notable snail - a recent discovery at The Moors – Desmoulins’ Whorl Snail (Vertigo moulinsiana), is rare across Europe and protected by European law. Interestingly the name of this snail is French for "snail of the mills", but was actually named after the man that discovered it ! This is the only site known for the species in the Hamble catchment.

The Water Vole (Arvicola terrestris) lives along the stream banks of the Moors feeding on plant material and living in holes in the banks. Unfortunately they are now an endangered species in the UK, their dramatic and sudden decline is thought to be due to predation by introduced American Mink (Mustela vison).

Otters (Lutra lutra) lived at The Moors until at least the early part of the 20^th Century. There are reports of local children watching them play there during the Great War and one being shot there in 1918. Today, sadly, they are long since gone. However, there is good news: at least one Otter has been reported near the River Hamble at the beginning of this new millenium. Whether they could recolonise the Moors one day is doubtful; the road is so heavily used by fast cars that road casualties seem inevitable. A feasibility study of an underpass under the road is being investigated by the Environment Agency and Hampshire County Council’s Countryside Service which could lead to this superb animal returning to The Moors.

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