All bats in the UK are insectivores – they only eat insects. Insect-eating bats are great for keeping bugs away from crops and gardens.
Over 70% of all bat species feed on insects and as such play an important role in controlling insect numbers. UK bats do not suck your blood – but they will help clear the air of bloodsucking mosquitoes!
Look up to find the St Andrews Lakes Bat Boxes – Bats usually choose to roost in tree holes, dingy tunnels and buildings which are becoming very scarce due to globalisation and change in landscapes.
To encourage bats here at St Andrews Lakes we have installed Bat boxes; artificial roosts designed to encourage bats, providing them a safe place to raise their pups, sleep during the daytime, and hibernate during the winter months.
The common pipistrelle
One of the commonest British bats, weighing around 5 grams (same as a 20p piece). A single pipistrelle can eat thousands of tiny insects in just one night! They are the species you are most likely to see around your garden. The scientific name of the common pipistrelle is Pipistrellus pipistrellus.
The Leisler's Bat
Also known as the ‘hairy-armed bat’. It has a lovely long fur, particularly around the shoulders and the upper back, giving it a lion’s mane appearance. The scientific name of the Leisler’s bat is Nyctalus leisleri.
Brown long-eared bats
Medium-sized with ears nearly as long as their body. However this is not always obvious: when at rest they curl their ears back like rams’ horns, or tuck them away completely under their wings leaving only the pointed inner lobe of the ear (the tragus) visible. This bat’s huge ears provide exceptionally sensitive hearing – it can even hear a ladybird walking on a leaf! The scientific name of the brown long-eared bat is Plecotus auritus.
Nathusius’ pipistrelle
A rare bat in the UK, though records have increased in recent years. It is a migratory species, and most bats are encountered in autumn, although some do remain all year and breed in the UK. It is similar in appearance to, but slightly larger than the much more commonly found common and soprano pipistrelles, and the fur on its back is longer, sometimes giving a shaggy appearance. The scientific name of the Nathusius’ pipistrelle is Pipistrellus nathusii.
Noctules
Broad brown ears and a distinctive mushroom shaped tragus. This bat has long narrow wings and flies in a straight line, very high and fast. Thescientific name of the noctule is Nyctalus noctula.
The Serotine
One of Britain’s largest bat species and usually one of the first to appear in the evening, often emerging in good light. Its broad wings and a leisurely, highly manoeuvrable flapping flight with occasional short glides or steep descents are distinctive. The scientific name of the serotine is Eptesicus serotinus.
The Soprano Pipistrelle
One of the commonest and most widespread of all British bat species. It is very similar to the common pipistrelle but has a paler face and it echolocates at a higher frequency. The scientific name of the soprano pipistrelle is Pipistrellus pygmaeus.
The Hazel Doormouse
is a very important species here at St Andrews Lakes. It is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 as they are considered a vulnerable and declining species in the UK, primarily due to habitat loss from the destruction of ancient woodlands and hedgerows.
The broadleaved woodland and dense scrub here at St Andrews Lakes provide foraging and food availability for the dormouse. These same habitats also provide suitable arboreal nesting sites in the shrub and tree layer required for successful breeding.
Newts
The great crested newt is well-adapted to
neutral grassland, broadleaved woodland,
and scrub habitats, which offer suitable
conditions for foraging and shelter.
Reptiles
Populations of common lizard, slow worm and grass snake are present within the site. A combination of dry open ground, dense scrub, woodland and open water in close proximity provide ideal breeding, basking, foraging and resting habitat for reptiles. The exposed rocks of the chalk quarry and deadwood within scrub and woodland provide suitable hibernacula and breeding sites for these species.
“Standing water with inundated scrub provides breeding habitat for water birds”
Moorhen
Resident here at St Andrews Lakes, it spends more of its time out of the water than its relative, the coot, and even climbs trees. Moorhens are omnivores, eating everything from snails and insects to small fish and berries. When disturbed, it usually takes cover in nearby reeds. They build the nest out of twigs in emergent vegetation and defend it with ferocity.
Mallard
The much-loved mallard is our most familiar duck, found across town and country. If you’re feeding the ducks please don’t feed them bread – it’s not good for them! Instead, they love eating sweetcorn, lettuce, oats and seeds.
Canada Goose
The Canada goose is our largest goose and maybe our most familiar. Canada geese are not native to this country, having been introduced from North America about 300 years ago.
Greylag Goose
Our commonest native goose, the greylag goose can be very territorial while nesting, chasing other geese and large birds away from its nesting site. Greylag geese become sociable again once the chicks have hatched.
Coot
Another resident here at St Andrews Lakes. It spends more of its time on the water than its relative, the moorhen, and will dive to catch small invertebrates. Unlike ducks, coots will bring their catch to the surface before eating it, leading to squabbles over food. Coots breed in spring, laying between six and nine eggs in nests made among emergent vegetation. Coot chicks are black with orange fluff around the face and body; they are independent within two months of hatching.
Mute Swan
The mute swan is one of the most familiar birds in the UK, its long, curved neck and graceful glide a regular sight on our waterways and waterbodies. Mute swans feed on plants, particularly waterweed. They usually mate for life, but some will have numerous partners.
Great Crested Grebes
Great Crested Grebes are diving waterbirds, feeding on small fish and aquatic invertebrates. A little bit larger than a coot, great crested grebes nest on floating platforms made up of waterweed as well as in our reed banks.
Herons
Herons are often seen standing as still as a statue on their long thin legs in our shallow edges and in the reed beds around St Andrews Lakes. Patiently waiting for their next meal to swim by. These tall birds spend most of their time alone feeding mainly on fish and aquatic invertebrates.
“Our woodland and scrub habitats support
a range of breeding common bird species”
Peregrine Falcon
Until recently, the peregrine falcon was only found in the north and west of the UK. Yet, over the last couple of decades, it has been spreading south. In recent years, it has found some unusual nest sites. You can see them nesting in the giant electricity pylons either side of the lake. These tall structures replicate the precipitous cliff edges that it would naturally nest on. Often seen battling and arguing with the Common Ravens.
Kestrel
The kestrel is a little larger than a feral pigeon. They nest in holes in trees, old buildings and abandoned crows’ nests, laying between four and five eggs. When they hatch, both parents help to feed the young chicks.
Sand Martin
The sand martin is a common summer visitor to the UK, arriving in March and leaving in October. It nests in colonies, digging burrows in steep, sandy cliffs, usually around water, and is commonly found on wetland sites. The tunnels it bores can be up to a metre in length! At a chamber at the end of the burrow, four or five eggs are laid on collected straw and feathers. Sand martins are sociable birds and will nest together in summer and gather to roost in large numbers in autumn; eventually they migrate to Africa to spend the winter.
Gold Finch
The goldfinch is a striking, small finch of gardens, parks, woodland, heathland and farmland. It eats small seeds, especially from ragwort, dandelions and teasels (their long, pointed bills help them to extract the seeds), as well as invertebrates.
Common Raven
The raven is a massive crow, even bigger than a buzzard. Ravens nest on cliffs around the coast, on mountains, in quarries and in large trees in parkland. Ravens pair for life; males perform breeding displays of posturing, preening and bill caressing from February onwards, and females lay four to six bluegreen eggs in a nest of twigs and moss.
SYCAMORE (Acer pseudoplatanus)
Familiar, romantic, sticky. Sycamore might have been introduced by the Romans or in the 1500s. Since then, it’s colonised woodland becoming a source of food and shelter for wildlife including aphids that leave behind their tacky honeydew. These broadleaf trees can grow to 35m and live for 400 years. The bark is dark pink-grey, and smooth when young, but becomes cracked and develops small plates with age. Twigs are pinkbrown and hairless.
ASH (Fraxinus excelsior)
One of our most beloved trees. Ash is one of the most common trees in the UK. When fully grown, ash trees can reach a height of 35m. Tall and graceful, they often grow together, forming a domed canopy. The bark is pale brown to grey and fissures as the tree ages. The tree is easily identified in winter by its smooth twigs that have distinctive black, velvety leaf buds arranged opposite each other.
COMMON BEECH, (Fagus sylvatica)
Monumental, majestic, home to rare wildlife. Beech is an enchanting species and known as the queen of British trees. To wander beneath the leafy canopy, its cathedral-like branches spreading upwards, is an awe-inspiring experience. Mature trees grow to a height of more than 40m and develop a huge domed crown. The bark is smooth, thin and grey, often with slight horizontal etchings. The reddish brown, torpedo-shaped leaf buds form on short stalks and have a distinctive criss-cross pattern.
HAWTHORN (Crataegus monogyna)
Named after the month in which it blooms and a sign that spring is turning to summer. The pale green leaves of this hedgerow staple are often the first to appear in spring, with an explosion of pretty pale-pink blossom in May. It simply teems with wildlife from bugs to birds. Mature trees can reach a height of 15m and are characterised by their dense, thorny habit, though they can grow as a small tree with a single stem. The bark is brown-grey, knotted and fissured, and twigs are slender and brown and covered in thorns.
BIRCH, SILVER (Betula pendula)
Pretty, pale, a symbol of purity. This common tree, with its silver-white bark, is favoured by gardeners who want to renew and purify their land for coming year. Silver birch is a striking, medium-sized deciduous tree. When mature they can reach 30m in height, forming a light canopy with elegant, drooping branches. The white bark sheds layers like tissue paper and becomes black and rugged at the base. As the trees mature, the bark develops dark, diamond-shaped fissures. Twigs are smooth and have small dark warts.
WILD CHERRY, (Prunus avium)
Beautiful blossom and a bounty of bright red fruits. Wild cherry, one of the prettiest native trees, is relished by gardeners and wildlife. Mature trees can grow to 30m and live for up to 60 years. The shiny bark is a deep reddish-brown with prominent cream-coloured horizontal lines called lenticels. The second part of its botanical name – avium – refers to birds which play a role in the tree’s propagation by eating the cherries and dispersing the seed.
HAZEL (Corylus avellana)
Catkins resembling lambs tails, and latesummer nuts. Hazel is one of the most useful trees for its bendy stems and as a conservation saviour. It’s nuts are loved by people, squirrels and hazel dormice. Often coppiced, but when left to grow, trees can reach a height of 12m and live for up to 80 years (if coppiced, hazel can live for several hundred years). It has a smooth, grey-brown bark, which peels with age, and bendy, hairy stems. Leaf buds are oval, blunt and hairy.
FIELD MAPLE, (Acer campestre)
Pollution fighter, autumn stunner, syrup maker. The field maple is a sturdy broadleaf which supports caterpillars, aphids, and all their predators, all while resisting air pollution. The bark is light brown and flaky, and twigs are slender and brown and develop a corky bark with age. Small, grey leaf buds grow on long stems. Field maples can grow to 20m and live for up to 350 years.
Monterey pinE
A vigorous evergreen conifer making a large tree to 30m or more, developing a broad rounded crown with maturity. Dense dark green needles in clusters of three, and persistent, conical-ovoid cones to 15cm in length.
This top field at St Andrews Lakes is an area of Herb-rich calcareous grassland, full of floristic richness with wildflowers, grasses and herbs. Wild herbs are fascinating as they are naturally occurring plants known for their culinary, medicinal, and aromatic properties. They thrive in diverse habitats, enriching ecosystems with their flavours, fragrances, and benefits for pollinators. Many herbs found in our grassland have been used for centuries in traditional remedies and cooking. Herb species that have been identified as thriving here;
Sweet clover
Produces Nectar and Pollen in abundance for Honeybees, short and long-tongued Bumblebees, and particularly the broken-belted bumblebee and Solitary bees. Used medicinally to increase the loss of water from the body through the urine (as a diuretic). It is also used for varicose veins and to relieve symptoms of poor blood circulation including leg pain and heaviness, night cramps, itchiness, and fluid retention.
Wild carrot
does, indeed, smell of carrots, but the roots are not like our cultivated, dinnertime favourite. Wild carrot root is edible, but is smaller and more woody than commercial cultivars. They are eaten when young, or are roasted, dried, and ground to a powder to be used for making coffee. The seeds are used as a flavouring in stews, and the flower heads are lightly battered and deep-fried, but also seeds used as a herbal contraceptive. Wild carrot is also occasionally used as a companion plant for crops to help attract more pollinators.
Burnet Salad
A great culinary herb to experiment with, the leaves have a tasty cucumber flavour. Because it is evergreen you can harvest leaves throughout the year. There are many recipes in which you could use Salad Burnet. Try in salads or use as a garnish. Great in cool drinks over the summer and in a glass of Pimms!
Oxeye daisy
Cheerful, prophetic and mystical, there’s more than meets the eye to the humble oxeye daisy. Look out for them on roadsides and woodland edges. The plant was used in traditional medicines to treat various health problems, such as coughs and asthma. The flower heads have also been used to make tea.
Field Scabious
A nectar plant for butterflies and bees. Flowering mid to late summer with lilac-blue flowerheads from dainty hairy stems. Species of scabious were used to treat scabies, and many other afflictions of the skin including sores caused by the bubonic plague. The word scabies comes from the Latin word for “scratch” (scabere). Another name for this plant is gipsy rose.
Corn mint
The flowers are pale purple (occasionally white or pink), in whorls on the stem at the bases of the leaves. The leaves can be eaten raw or made into tea to treat colds or aid digestion.
Viper’s-bugloss
Provides food for a range of insects, including Buff-tailed and Red-tailed Bumblebees, Large Skipper and Painted Lady butterflies, Honeybees and Red Mason Bees. has been used in traditional medicine for many ailments, including wound healing, respiratory issues, and inflammation.
YELLOW-WORT
In addition to its beauty and value as a pollinator plant, Yellow-wort has also been used in traditional medicine. The plant has been used to treat a variety of ailments, including wounds, kidney stones, and as a diuretic.
Bristly oxtongue
gets its name from the bristles that form on the leaf. Historically, its leaves and flowers have been steeped to create teas for soothing coughs, colds, and sore throats.
Coltsfoot
a Demulcent, expectorant and tonic. One of the most popular of cough remedies. It was once said (we however do not recommend this!) the best way to use Coltsfoot was for the dried leaves and roots of Coltsfoot to be burnt, and the smoke drawn into the mouth through a reed and swallowed, as a remedy for an obstinate cough, the patient sipping a little wine between each inhalation. To derive the full benefit from it, it had to be burnt on cypress charcoal.
Yarrow
Can be found in many grasslands, from lawns to meadows, its flat-topped clusters of flower heads appearing from June. Cultivated varieties are garden favourites. It is another herb with an incredible range of potential medicinal uses, including treating wounds, fevers, and digestive issues.
Common knapweed
The tightly packed, thistle-like purple flower heads of common knapweed bloom on all kinds of grasslands. Also regularly called black knapweed, this plant attracts clouds of butterflies. It has also been used in folk medicine for a variety of ailments, including digestive issues, headaches, and skin conditions.
COMMON CENTURY
A low-growing biennial that is found on sand dunes, heaths, woodland rides, quarries and other dry, grassy areas. It is in bloom between June and September and, like other members of the gentian family, its pink flowers close during the afternoon. It was used by traditional herbalists to control fevers.
YELLOW RATTLE
Brush through a wildflower meadow at the height of summer and you’ll hear the tiny seeds of yellow-rattle rattling in their brown pods, hence its name. It is used to reduce the dominance of grasses so that wildflowers can thrive and has no medicinal uses although it has been used in the past to make a natural dye for textiles.
LADY’S BEDSTRAW
The frothy, yellow flowers of lady’s bedstraw scent the air of our grasslands with honey. The stems can be so dense with flowers that they carpet the grass with yellow from June to September. Dried, this flower has the scent of newmown hay, and its name is probably derived from the tradition of stuffing straw mattresses with it, particularly those of women about to give birth.
BIRD’S-FOOT-TREFOIL
One of the more evocative names for common bird’s-foot-trefoil is ‘Granny’s toenails’, which gives an instant, and perhaps not-so-pleasant, impression of the claw-like seed pods of this abundant and sprawling species. Other common names include ‘butter and eggs’, eggs and bacon’, and ‘hen and chickens’, which all refer to the egg-yolk yellow flowers and reddish buds. It is highly toxic to humans to ingest but used along roadsides to control wind and water erosion.
During our 2024 ecology survey, a total of 736 species were recorded at St Andrews Lakes. The bare ground with recolonising botanicals, grassland and woodland within the site all provide suitability for a range of invertebrate species. Invertebrates are crucial for ecosystem health, playing vital roles in pollination, decomposition, nutrient cycling, and serving as a food source, with many species facing decline, highlighting the need for their conservation. Three species are paid particular attention to, ensuring they thrive here at St Andrews Lakes.
Dragonflies
Numerous dragonfly species have been recorded at St Andrews Lakes. Long before dinosaurs walked the earth, there were dragonflies in the sky. They were some of the first winged insects to evolve, around 300 million years ago. Back then oxygen levels were much higher, allowing giant dragonflies to evolve, with wingspans like eagles. Dragonflies and damselflies are part of the Odonata order, meaning ‘toothed ones’. They are fearsome predators of flying insects like gnats, mosquitos and other small bugs.
Don’t worry – they don’t bite us. They’re completely harmless, and actually helpful for humans, as they hunt the pesky insects that bother us. Did you know; Dragonflies can fly at 30mph but only live up to 56 days?
Butterfly
Butterflies are vital to the UK’s ecosystem, serving as pollinators, food for other animals, and indicators of environmental health, but their populations are declining due to habitat loss and other factors, highlighting the need for conservation efforts. The invertebrate fauna related to calcareous grassland here at St Andrews Lakes is diverse, supporting scarce species such as;
Adonis Blue Butterfly
This beautiful species of butterfly is one of the most characteristic of unimproved southern chalk downland, where it can be seen flying low over shortly grazed turf (typically steep, south-facing slopes). The males have brilliant sky-blue wings, while the females are chocolate brown and far less conspicuous. Both sexes have distinctive black lines that enter or cross the white fringes of the wings.
Silver-Spotted Skipper
Duke of Burgundy Fritillary
A small orange-brown butterfly, resembling a tiny fritillary, with whitespotted hindwing undersides. It lives in small colonies on scrubby grasslands and sunny woodland clearings, usually in low numbers. Males perch visibly, while elusive females stay low searching for egg sites. Rarely visiting flowers, this species has declined sharply, now found in fewer than 20 woodland sites.
Crickets - The wart-biter cricket
The Wart-Biter is a rare, large, dark green bush cricket found at St Andrews Lakes. It’s one of the UK’s most endangered insects. Easy to identify as it is dark green with dark blotches on its body and wings. Large, dark eyes and large, powerful hind legs named after an ancient Swedish medical practice of using the insects to eat skin warts! The wart-biter’s song is a series of rapidly repeated clicks in short bursts that can last for several minutes. Preferring to walk, keeping its adventures pretty local.
The fish here at St Andrews Lakes are generally Carp; Common, Mirror, Roach and even KOI. They are very easy to spot due to their size, growing up to a metre in length and weighing up to 30lbs. Having a lifespan of up to 50 years, they have become accustomed to human presence at St Andrews Lakes. Their ‘friendliness’ is purely driven by instinct and the availability of food.
Due to declining numbers of migratory birds such as Swifts, Swallows & Sand Martins, the team at St Andrews Lakes have specially designed a structure that provides an ideal viewing spot for observing the wonderful Sand Martins and other wildlife in their natural habitat.
Positioned in a discreet location on the lakes bank, our hide offers a sheltered and discreet space for birdwatchers, photographers, and nature enthusiasts.
Constructed from natural camouflaged materials, the hide blends seamlessly into the environment, minimizing disturbance to the birds. It features strategically placed viewing windows that allow for unobstructed observation while maintaining the birds’ sense of security. The hide includes educational signage about Sand Martins, their migration patterns, and conservation efforts.
With it’s immersive setting, the Sand Martin Bird Hide provides a peaceful retreat for nature lovers, offering a close-up experience of these agile flyers as they dart over the water catching insects and tending to their specifically designed nest boxes which imitate their burrowed nests in sandy banks.
Bee houses provide a safe and sheltered environment for solitary bees, such as the minor, mason and leafcutter bees, to nest and lay eggs. These structures mimic natural habitats like hollow stems or wood crevices, offering protection from predators and harsh weather. By placing bee houses in gardens or green spaces, people can support pollinators, enhance biodiversity, and improve local plant pollination.
