A country park is a natural area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment.
42-661: Samphire Hoe is a country park situated 2 miles (3 km) west of Dover in Kent in southeast England. The park was created by using 4.9 million cubic metres of chalk marl from the Channel Tunnel excavations and is found at the bottom of a section of the White Cliffs of Dover . The site is owned by Getlink , and managed by the White Cliffs Countryside Project. It is accessible by
84-575: A species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The family Motacillidae consists of the wagtails , pipits and longclaws . The largest of these groups is the pipits in the genus Anthus , which are typically brown-plumaged terrestrial insectivores . Their similar appearances have led to taxonomic problems; the European rock pipit and the buff-bellied pipit were considered subspecies of
126-403: A car park, toilets, maybe a cafe or kiosk, paths and trails, and some information for visitors. Some have much more, with museums, visitor centres, educational facilities, historic buildings, farms, boating, fishing, and other attractions. Many larger country parks organise entertainment for visitors, and are venues for firework displays, shows and fairs and other large, outdoor events. There
168-480: A country park is to provide a place that has a natural, rural atmosphere for visitors who do not necessarily want to go out into the wider countryside. Visitors can enjoy a public open space with an informal atmosphere, as opposed to a formal park as might be found in an urban area. For this reason country parks are usually found close to or on the edge of built-up areas, and rarely in the wider countryside. A country park usually has some more formal facilities, such as
210-578: A few reaching Morocco. Wanderers have reached Spitsbergen and the Canary Islands , but records in Europe away from the coast are rare. For example, a male shot at Dresden in 1894, now in the collection of the local State Museum of Zoology , is the sole specimen for Saxony . Migratory populations leave their breeding grounds in September and October, returning from March onwards, although in
252-412: A further 16 days to fledging . Although insects are occasionally caught in flight, the pipits feed mainly on small invertebrates picked off the rocks or from shallow water. The European rock pipit may be hunted by birds of prey , infested by parasites such as fleas , or act as an involuntary host to the common cuckoo , but overall its population is large and stable, and it is therefore evaluated as
294-566: A greater diversity of smaller Littorina snails as food for the pipits. Estimates of the breeding population of the European rock pipit vary, but may be as high as 408,000 pairs, of which around 300,000 pairs are in Norway. Despite slight declines in the British population and some range expansion in Finland, the population is considered overall to be large and stable, and for this reason it
336-443: A number of nationally rare plant species including the early spider orchid . In July each year, the rock sea lavender blooms, along with rock samphire . Peregrine falcons have been seen flying along the cliffs. Some European stonechats and meadow pipits gather on the meadow, while rock pipits move along the base of the cliffs. House martins make mud nests under the overhangs of the chalk cliffs. Country park In
378-530: A small bird of grasslands, and the specific petrosus means "rocky", from petrus , "rock". There are two recognised subspecies of the European rock pipit: The suggested subspecies A. p. kleinschmidti on the Faroe Islands, Shetland, and Orkney, A. p. meinertzhageni on South Uist , A. p. hesperianus on the Isle of Arran , and A. p. ponens in northwestern France cannot be reliably separated from
420-472: Is territorial at least in the breeding season, and year-round where it is resident. Males will sometimes enter an adjacent territory to assist the resident in repelling an intruder, behaviour only otherwise known from the African fiddler crab . European rock pipits construct a cup nest under coastal vegetation or in cliff crevices and lay four to six speckled pale grey eggs which hatch in about two weeks with
462-410: Is a pale eye-ring. The sexes are alike; although males average slightly brighter than females, the overlap is complete and birds cannot be sexed on appearance or measurements. Immature birds resemble the adult, although they may sometimes be browner and more streaked above, looking superficially similar to meadow pipits. The eastern subspecies A. p. littoralis can only be reliably distinguished from
SECTION 10
#1732773367795504-493: Is a sequence of about twenty tinkling cheepa notes followed by a rising series of thin gee calls, and finishing with a short trill . The shrill pseep flight call is intermediate between the soft sip sip sip of the meadow pipit and the water pipit's short, thin fist . The European rock pipit is almost entirely coastal, frequenting rocky areas typically below 100 metres (330 ft), although on St Kilda it breeds at up to 400 metres (1,300 ft). The European rock pipit
546-466: Is a species of small passerine bird that breeds in western Europe on rocky coasts. It has streaked greyish-brown upperparts and buff underparts, and is similar in appearance to other European pipits . There are two subspecies, of which the nominate is non-migratory , and the Fennoscandian one is migratory, wintering in shoreline habitats further west and south in Europe. The European rock pipit
588-450: Is also a host to the flea Ceratophyllus borealis , and several other flea species in the genera Ceratophyllus and Dasypsyllus . The Eurasian rock pipit can benefit from parasitism of the common periwinkle Littorina littoria by the castrating trematode Parorchis acanthus . Beaches can become attractive where the decline of the periwinkle results in more ungrazed algae , with corresponding increases in invertebrates and
630-505: Is also confusable with the European rock pipit, but has a strong supercilium and greyer upperparts; it is also typically much warier. The European rock pipit's dusky, rather than white, outer tail feathers are also a distinction from all its relatives. The habitats used by European rock and water pipits are completely separate in the breeding season, and there is little overlap even when birds are not nesting. The European rock pipit's song
672-419: Is four to six eggs, glossy pale grey with darker grey or olive speckles mainly at the wider end. They measure 21.6 by 16.0 millimetres (0.85 in × 0.63 in) and weigh 2.7 grams (0.095 oz), of which 5% is shell. They are incubated for 14–16 days to hatching, almost entirely by the female, although males have been recorded as occasionally helping. The naked altricial chicks are brooded by
714-412: Is highly territorial in the breeding season, and throughout the year where it is resident. Breeding males have a song display in which they fly to 15–30 metres (49–98 ft) above the ground, then circle or descend to the ground with a fluttering "parachute" flight. Territorial males will sometimes enter the territory of an adjacent male to cooperate in evicting an intruder. This behaviour, which requires
756-454: Is not necessarily any public right of access to country parks, and visitors are usually subject to byelaws when they enter the park. Some charge for car parking, some are free. These parks vary tremendously from one to another, and really have only their purpose in common: to provide easy access to the countryside for those living in the towns and suburbs . They do not necessarily have any great nature conservation interest, although often this
798-518: Is not troubled by wind or rain, although it avoids very exposed situations. It may occur further inland in winter or on migration. The breeding range is temperate and Arctic Europe on western and Baltic Sea coasts, with a very small number sometimes nesting in Iceland. The nominate race is largely resident, with only limited movement. A. p. littoralis is largely migratory , wintering on coasts from southern Scandinavia to southwest Europe, with
840-435: Is open between 7am and dusk ; admittance is free and car parking is £2. It is very wheelchair friendly and an education room is available for school use. The site has a walking trail and serves as a wildlife area. Samphire Hoe has been managed by the White Cliffs Countryside Project, in partnership with the owner, Getlink . Samphire Hoe has a walking path which makes a full circuit of 2 kilometres (1.2 mi). The level of
882-419: Is the case. In Hong Kong a large part of the territory's countryside is officially designated as country parks. Most of these are reservoir watersheds, serving the dual purpose of providing recreational facilities and contributing to Hong Kong's water supply. European rock pipit Anthus spinoletta petrosus (Montagu, 1798) The European rock pipit ( Anthus petrosus ), or simply rock pipit ,
SECTION 20
#1732773367795924-468: The mollusc Assiminea grayana in the Netherlands. Small fish are occasionally eaten, and in hard weather pipits may scavenge for other food, including human food litter. There is little competition from other species for food, since rocky beach specialists like the purple sandpiper take slightly larger food items, and may wade in deeper water. When food is abundant, meadow pipits may also feed on
966-546: The water pipit until they were separated by the British Ornithologists' Union in 1998. The European rock pipit is closely related to the meadow , red-throated and rosy pipits as well as its former subspecies. The first formal description naming this species was by English naturalist George Montagu in 1798. It had previously been described in 1766 by Thomas Pennant , in the first edition of British Zoology , although he did not distinguish it from
1008-587: The Countryside Commission to recognize country parks. Although the Act established country parks and gave guidance on the core facilities and services they should provide it did not empower the designation of sites as country parks, as it was left to local authorities to decide whether to endorse a site calling itself a country park. In England, country parks can be accredited by Natural England , and some also have Green Flag status. The purpose of
1050-871: The United Kingdom, the term country park has a specific meaning. There are around 250 designated country parks in England and Wales attracting some 57 million visitors a year, and another 40 or so in Scotland. Most country parks were designated in the 1970s, under the Countryside Act 1968 , with the support of the former Countryside Commission . In more recent times there has been no specific financial support for country parks directly and fewer have been designated. Most parks are managed by local authorities, although other organisations and private individuals can also run them. The 1968 Countryside Act empowered
1092-518: The ability to distinguish the resident from the intruder, is only otherwise known from the African fiddler crab . Eggs are laid from early to mid-April in Britain and Ireland, from mid-May in southern Scandinavia, and from June in the north. The nest is always close to the shore, in a cliff crevice or hole, or under the cover of vegetation. It is constructed by the female from seaweed and dead grass, and lined with finer fibres or hair. The clutch
1134-494: The adults. From late January to early March there is a partial moult and individually variable moult of some body and wing covert feathers, and sometimes the central tail feathers. The European rock pipit is closely related to the water pipit and the meadow pipit, and is rather similar in appearance. Compared to the meadow pipit, the European rock pipit is darker, larger and longer-winged than its relative, and has dark, rather than pinkish-red, legs. The water pipit in winter plumage
1176-577: The breeding range of A. p. petrosus in Britain as well as further south in western Europe; they are sometimes, but not always, separated ecologically, tending to use more sheltered and muddier, less stony, coasts. Virtually all rock pipits in southeastern England (where A. p. petrosus does not breed) are A. p. littoralis . Adult European rock pipits have a complete moult in August–September, at which time juveniles replace their body and some wing covert feathers , giving them an appearance very like
1218-432: The common titlark (meadow pipit). It was first shown to be different from that species by John Walcott in the 1789 edition of his Synopsis of British Birds , in which he called it the sea lark. John Latham was the first to give the European rock pipit a scientific name, Alauda obscura in 1790, but his name was an invalid homonym , the same name being used a year earlier by Gmelin for a different bird from Sardinia. In
1260-402: The far north they may not arrive before May. The European rock pipit is a much more approachable bird than the water pipit. If startled, it flies a fairly short distance, close to the ground, before it alights, whereas its relative is warier and flies some distance before landing again. Eurasian rock pipits are usually solitary, only occasionally forming small flocks. The European rock pipit
1302-438: The female and fledge in about 16 days. Both parents may feed the chicks for several days after fledging. There may be two broods in a year in the south of the pipit's range, and just one further north. In a British survey, a hatching rate of 82% and a fledging rate of 78% gave an overall 58% nesting success, with an average 2.5 surviving young per pair. In contrast, a study in northwestern France found juvenile mortality
Samphire Hoe - Misplaced Pages Continue
1344-487: The foot of Shakespeare Cliff. In the 1980s the site was deemed the most suitable of 60 proposed to dump chalk from Channel Tunnel excavations, and work began on it in 1988. As the 30 hectares that make up the park were totally reclaimed from the sea, the first job to be completed was the building of walls in the sea to create an artificial lagoon . The tunnel was completed in 1994 and opened by Queen Elizabeth II and French President François Mitterrand . The park opened to
1386-551: The nominate subspecies and are now included in it. There is a geographical cline in appearance, with longer-billed, darker birds at the western end of the range, and shorter-billed, paler individuals in the east. The European rock pipit is 16.5–17 centimetres (6.5–6.7 in) long and weighs 18–32.5 grams (0.63–1.15 oz). The nominate race has smoky-olive upperparts, weakly streaked with darker brown, and buff underparts, heavily marked with poorly defined brown streaks. The legs, bill and iris are dark brown or blackish, and there
1428-598: The nominate subspecies in summer plumage, when it may show pinkish underparts and a pale supercilium (eyebrow), thereby resembling the water pipit. European rock pipits in winter are readily distinguishable from water pipits, but very difficult to assign to subspecies by appearance or measurements. The western populations are known to be nearly sedentary, so east of the Elbe basin vagrant Eurasian rock pipits are presumably mostly littoralis . Ringing results show that A. p. littoralis birds from Scandinavia winter widely within
1470-459: The path has mild slopes with an average gradient of 1:15, though a little steeper in places, and with cross slopes of up to 1:25. The nature trail within the Hoe is tarmac with fine gravel, but the seawall path is made of smooth concrete. The area has been used for jogging and fun runs on special occasions. The ecology of Samphire Hoe includes wildflowers and birds. It is now a chalk meadow-land with
1512-631: The public in 1997. Samphire Hoe is the location of the cooling station on the English side of the Channel Tunnel, serving as the counterpart to the French station at Sangatte across the Channel. The park now attracts around 110,000 visitors per year, with 140,000 people visiting in 2021. Walking, cycling, angling on the sea wall and bird watching are some of the activities available. The park
1554-715: The public via a single-lane road tunnel controlled by traffic lights , which crosses over the South Eastern Main Line that is running in the Shakespeare Cliff tunnel underneath. Visitor facilities are provided, including car parking, toilets and a café. Samphire Hoe is named after the wild plant rock samphire that was once collected from the Dover cliffs; its fleshy green leaves were picked in May and pickled in barrels of brine and sent to London, where it
1596-452: The same year, Montagu, whom Latham had consulted about the bird, found European rock pipits on the coast of South Wales , where it was known to some fishermen in the region as the "rock lark". He adopted that name for the species and gave it the scientific name Alauda petrosa . The scientific name of the European rock pipit is from Latin . Anthus is the name given by Pliny the Elder to
1638-482: The shore, but are driven away by the European rock pipits when there is less prey available. The European rock pipit is hunted by birds of prey including the Eurasian sparrowhawk . As with other members of its genus, it is a host of the common cuckoo , a brood parasite . Eggs laid by cuckoos that specialise in using pipits as their hosts are similar in appearance to those of the pipit. The European rock pipit
1680-541: The site to create a tunnel that would pass under the English Channel but it failed shortly afterwards. In 1895 a coal mine was sunk there but this closed in 1921 after being very unsuccessful. These activities were served by Shakespeare Cliff Halt railway station at the western end of the Shakespeare Cliff tunnel; the remains of the platforms can be seen from the road to the car park, but trains still pass through. A community of fisherfolk and others once lived at
1722-840: Was nearly 70%. The average lifespan is not recorded, although the maximum recorded age is 10.9 years. The European rock pipit's feeding habitat is rocky coasts , rather than the damp grassland favoured by the water pipit. The European rock pipit feeds mainly on invertebrates , seeking out most of its prey on foot, only occasionally flying to catch insects. It will venture into shallow water as it follows retreating waves, and may take advantage of human activity that exposes sea slaters or other species that hide under stones. Food items include snails , worms , small crustaceans , flies and beetles . The proportions of each prey species vary with season and locality. Amphipod larvae are important in Ireland and Scotland, crustaceans in Norway, and
Samphire Hoe - Misplaced Pages Continue
1764-407: Was served as a dish to accompany meat. A 'hoe' is a piece of land which sticks out into the sea. The name was coined by Mrs Gillian Janaway, a retired primary school teacher from Dover, by way of a public competition. The cliffs above the current park (Round Down Cliff) were blown up with gunpowder in 1843 to aid the creation of the Dover to Folkestone railway. In 1880 an attempt was made from
#794205