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Wildlife along the River Medway
More than 130,000 waterfowl visit the Medway (and Swale) each year.
An abundance of wildlife is found along the riverbanks: wild flowers such as water forget-me-not, comfrey and wild garlic, birds that include the green woodpecker, kingfisher and nightingale, and many insects including butterflies and dragonflies.
Ashdown Forest, a candidate Special Area of Conservation (SAC) contains the headwaters of the River Medway. In its upper reaches the river has a well developed pool and riffle sequence. This provides an important habitat for a wide range of invertebrates, including dragonflies and damselflies. Of note is the white-legged damselfly, which is particularly sensitive to pollution and disturbance. One of the river's tributaries, the River Eden, has an important population of native white-clawed crayfish. The River Bourne, another tributary, supports the non-native signal crayfish which threatens the white-clawed crayfish through the transmission of diseases.
Much of the River Medway and its tributaries are Sites of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI) and the River Beult is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It's an important example of a typical lowland clay river with characteristic flora including the common club rush and reed canary-grass.
Alders, willows and majestic oaks can be found along much of the Medway's course, which may provide suitable habitats for otters. A well developed root system can be used as an otter holt (nest site). Rough grassland and a network of hedgerows adjacent to the river offers important hunting ground for the barn owl.
The Medway Estuary, with its large expanse of inter-tidal mudflats and saltmarsh, is an internationally important habitat for wintering, passage and breeding birds. These habitats provide the birds with a rich food source that helps them survive migrations and the winter climate. So many water birds visit the Medway (and Swale) that the area has both national and international conservation designations and protection, such as the Ramsar Convention and also being a Special Protection Area (SPA) for birds under EC legislation.
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Teston Bridge Angling »
Address: 22 Pembroke Road, Maidstone, Kent ME17 4QJ
Tel: 01622 745406
Services: Country park
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