Mosaic of interconnected pools, ponds and other wetland habitats supporting breeding birds, wintering waders and wildfowl, otter and a range of wetland and grassland invertebrates.
Freeman’s Pools is a mosaic of interconnected pools, ponds and other wetland habitats created after the digging of borrow pits for the Lower Lune flood alleviation scheme.
The reserve supports breeding birds such as sedge warbler and reed bunting, oystercatcher and little ringed plover, wintering waders including snipe and Jack snipe, and wildfowl including teal and shoveler, goldeneye and gadwall. Wintering smew have also been recorded on the reserve, as well as passage migrants such as black-tailed godwit and green sandpiper.
Barn owl and marsh harrier are occasionally seen hunting, and the reserve is visited by otter and roe deer.
A range of wetland and grassland invertebrates are supported, including breeding dragonflies such as black-tailed skimmer, emperor and four-spotted chaser and grassland butterflies such as meadow brown, large skipper and common blue.
A mature native black poplar (one of the UK’s rarest trees) stands within Freeman’s Wood on the reserve boundary, and native black poplar saplings have been planted within the reserve’s woodland belt. The reserve is managed by Lancashire Wildlife Trust on behalf of the Environment Agency.
Species and habitats