File:Information board Tunstall Nature Reserve - geograph.org.uk - 1326938.jpg

English: Information board Tunstall Nature Reserve The information board reads as follows:

Tunstall Reservoir is located within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Beauty and its east shoreline lies within Backstone Bank and Raal Hill Site of Special Scientific interest. This quiet tract of wetland around the head of Tunstall Reservoir has been set aside for nature conservation and most of it can be seen from this viewpoint. The appearance of the wetland, which supports a number of damp-loving plant communities, changes according to season and to the fluctuations in the level of the reservoir. During the drier months the landscape of the reservoir will usually resemble the sketch above. The reserve is inhabited by frog, toad, common lizard and adder, together with three-spined stickleback, minnow and freshwater shrimp, and birds such as moorhen, coot, mallard, snipe, grey wagtail and common sandpiper. Insects here include lesser water boatman, pond skater, mayfly, caddisfly and stonefly, as well as various butterflies such as small skipper, red admiral, meadow brown and small heath. Several vegetation zones lie within the fen, reflecting the differences in wetness and acidity of its soft, peaty soil: A. The northern end of the reservoir is characterised by hawthorn and willow growing in association with meadowsweet and bitter vetch. B. This drier zone is covered by heath bedstraw, with patches of wavy hair-grass and tufted hair-grass. C. The plants growing here are able to withstand periodic submergence and include water horsetail, amphibious bistort and the nationally rare thread rush. D. On the damp margins of the wettest part of the reserve grow reed canary-grass, raged robin, marsh marigold and marsh valerian. E. Drier acid soil here supports foxglove and common spotted orchid.

F. A narrow zone of drier soil opposite the beck supports reed canary-grass and heath bedstraw, together with Yorkshire fog, greater stitchwort and tufted hair-grass.