Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve and Jeffery Harrison Visitor Centre

Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve lies immediately to the north of Sevenoaks. The reserve was the first example of a gravel pit site being developed for the purpose of nature conservation. It is a spectacular site for birds, as well as dragonflies and damselflies there is also a diverse community of plants, fungi and other wildlife, including creatures of the night such as bats and glow-worms. So far well over two thousand species have been identified and more are regularly being added to the list. This pioneering nature reserve covers 73 hectares and comprises five lakes surrounded by woodland, there are a few ponds, seasonally flooded pools as well as grassland and small areas of reedbed, the clear water of river Darent flows through the northern part of the reserve and supports a reasonable population of invertebrates and fish. The deeper lakes attract all the common wildfowl which are especially abundant in the winter. Surface feeding duck such as teal and shovelers tend to frequent the shallower areas. Waders such as green and common sandpiper, greenshank, lapwing and little-ringed plover can be seen around the muddy edges of the shallow water. The last two species nest on the reserve. Grey herons are resident and other birds like kingfisher, grey wagtail can often be located. Birds such as reed bunting and reed warbler can easily be seen in the reedbed in the summertime. The trees and scrub support of breeding perching birds, including the common garden birds, warblers such as chiffchaffs and blackcaps, woodpeckers (all 3 species including the lesser-spotted are found here), treecreepers and bullfinch. In the winter the alder trees attract flocks of siskins and redpolls. [Image: https://www.visitkent.co.uk/media/1717/kemsing-down-fragran-6e6306.jpg]