Killingholme Haven Pits
Parish: North Killingholme
OS: 113 • GR: TA 165199 • Map ref: 27
32.00 hectares (79.00acres) • Management agreement 1979
Habitat type: Marsh/Wetland
Location and Access
The reserve lies 5 km (3 miles) north-west of Immingham Dock on the Humber Bank. It is situated to the south of Haven Road on the approach to North Killingholme Haven. There is no general access to the reserve, but adequate viewing points are available from the public road and bank-top footpath.
Description and Management
A complex of four flooded clay pits with associated rough grassland and scrub. Islands and promontories in the two larger lagoons, together with controlled water-levels, attract a variety and good numbers of waders and wildfowl. The reserve is important for its saline lagoon habitat, which supports several rare invertebrate species. The two smaller lagoons have deeper water and are fringed with reed and sedges; they provide suitable habitat for diving ducks, such as pochard, tufted duck and, occasionally, scaup. Breeding species include little grebe, and reed, sedge, willow and grasshopper warblers. The ruddy duck has also been known to breed here. It is the two large shallow pits, however, that are of the greatest importance for birds, particularly for migrant waders in spring and autumn. Spotted redshank, dunlin, greenshank, common sandpiper, little ringed plover, ruff and black-tailed godwit, the latter often in large numbers, are regular visitors. The list of scarce and rare species is long and includes spoonbill, avocet, little egret, little and Temminck's stints, red-necked phalarope, and curlew, pectoral, Baird's and white-rumped sandpipers.
Management is aimed at sustaining optimum conditions for waders and other species by maintaining shallow water and muddy margins.
