BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 7: 1994 



flooded gravel pits, but there are a number of older features, principally the river 

 Loddon with many old alders on its banks and the hedges between the lakes which 

 include many mature oaks. Most parts of the park have produced some insects of 

 interest but several areas have been identified as of particular significance. 



Mungell's Pond, which is the nearest wetland area to the society's building, supports 

 a larger variety of insects than any area of comparable extent in the park. The open 

 pond margins are dominated by Typha beds but there is a good range of marsh plants 

 and an adjacent area of sallow carr grading into drier scrub and grassland. This area 

 has been recently colonized but provides a valuable link to the hedges south of Black 

 Swan Lake. Mungell's Meadow (2) is an adjoining enclosed area grazed by sheep, 

 which was dominated by ox-eye daisy in the summer of 1993. 



The mature hedges south of Black Swan Lake (3) and to a lesser extent thnse between 

 the lakes (4) (Fig. 3) comprise two hedgebanks separated by a largely overgrown 

 trackway (Mortimer's Way) and provide excellent shelter for shade-loving species 

 and those associated with dead wood and fungi. Their continued existence has 

 undoubtedly enabled many species to survive since before the days of gravel extraction, 

 and a good number of woodland species have been found in these areas. 



The several lakes have a great variety of marginal vegetation and have been colonized 

 by many aquatic and plant-feeding species of insects, but relatively few "notable" 

 species have been found by comparison with Mungell's Pond, suggesting that its 

 wetland habitats are more ancient in origin. The reedbeds at the north end of White 

 Swan Lake are, however, of some interest. Sandford Lake and Lavell's Lake at the 

 north end of the Park are conservation areas for waterfowl. 



Middle Marsh (5) is an area of tall mixed marsh vegetation with grass tussocks, 

 surrounded by carr and hedges and bordering a small pond. Again few "notable" 

 species have been found and much of the area was mown in September 1993 

 with the intention of encouraging the marsh orchids which otherwise occur in the 

 park only around Mungell's Pond. 



South of Sandford Lake (6) is an area of varied scrub and grassland habitats with 

 a rich flora and a good range of insects requiring drier grassland have been found there. 



The banks of the River Loddon (Fig. 4) are fringed by mature trees along the greater 

 part of both banks and there are some broader areas of woodland, on the east side 

 near Heron's Water (7) where a good concentration of dead wood and fungus feeding 

 species has been found, and more especially on the west side where there is an area 

 of carr at the south end and the more extensive Sandford Copse at the north end. 



Sandford Copse (Fig. 5) comprises alderwood (8) near the river, including an area 

 (outside the park boundary, near Sandford Mill) with SSSI status because of its large 

 stand of loddon lily (Leucojum aestivum L.) (Fig. 6), and hazel coppice (9) dominated 

 by bluebells in the spring on the higher ground near Bader Way. Bader Way Copse 

 (10) on the other side of the road is a more extensive area of uncoppiced hazel: most 

 of the hazel in Sandford Copse was coppiced during 1993. The alderwood areas have 

 proved productive of uncommon Diptera especially near the river where a good amount 

 of dead wood is present. 



The entire area west of the river south of Sandford Copse is described as Mortimer's 

 Meadows but is quite diverse. There is a field at the north end which develops tall 

 marsh vegetation during the summer but has been extensively invaded by nettles, due 

 to the lowering of the water table in the area following the construction of the housing 

 estate on the other side of Bader Way. This field produced some good species early 

 in the year but was mown in September 1993. 



Where the river is closest to Bader Way there are some areas of herb rich grassland 

 between a hedge and the road, where a high diversity of insects is present in a relatively 



