Wraysbury and Hythe End Gravel Pits is a biological
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...
Berkshire
Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...
. It is part of South West London Waterbodies
Ramsar site
A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O)
*** Permanent 8 ha (P)
*** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts)
**
Special Protection Area.
The site features four former gravel pits and is within the floodplains of the River Thames and the Colne Brook. It is important for the number of bird species it features.
Fauna
The following species have been recorded on the reserve.
The following plants have been recorded at the site:
Trees
*
Common buckthorn
''Rhamnus cathartica'', the European buckthorn, common buckthorn, purging buckthorn, or just buckthorn, is a species of small tree in the flowering plant family Rhamnaceae. It is native to Europe, northwest Africa and western Asia, from the cent ...
Lesser pond-sedge
''Carex acutiformis'', the lesser pond-sedge, is a species of sedge.
Description
It grows up to tall, with leaves up to long and wide.
Ecology
It is native to parts of northern and western Europe, where it grows in moist spots in a number of ...
Small pondweed Small pondweed is a common name for several plants and may refer to:
*''Potamogeton berchtoldii
''Potamogeton berchtoldii'', common name small pondweed is an aquatic plant.
Description
Small pondweed is a fine-leaved pondweeds with a bushy habi ...
Trifid bur-marigold
''Bidens tripartita'' is a common and widespread species of flowering plant in the sunflower family, Asteraceae, commonly known as three-lobe beggarticks, three-part beggarticks, leafy-bracted beggarticks or trifid bur-marigold. It is native to m ...
*
Horned pondweed
''Zannichellia palustris'', the horned pondweed, is a plant found in fresh to brackish waters in the United States (especially in the Chesapeake Bay), Europe, Asia, Australasia, and South America. It is recognizable by its long, thread like leave ...
*
Grass vetchling
''Lathyrus nissolia'', the grass vetchling or grass pea, is a species of flowering plant in the pea and bean family Fabaceae. It is native to most of Europe, Maghreb, Levant and the Caucasus. Despite its common names, it is not a grass, but belon ...