Local Wildlife

Nature in a suburban setting

Locks Heath supports a more varied wildlife population than its suburban appearance might suggest. The combination of gardens, hedgerows, retained green spaces, Titchfield Common and the coastal habitats to the south creates a patchwork of habitats that supports birds, mammals, insects and plants across the seasons.

Gardens are the most extensive habitat in Locks Heath, and the cumulative effect of thousands of individual gardens creates a green mosaic that supports a significant wildlife population. Birds are the most visible garden wildlife: blue tits, great tits, robins, blackbirds, song thrushes, wrens and dunnocks are all common, and garden feeders attract additional species including goldfinches, greenfinches, woodpigeons and collared doves. Sparrowhawks hunt through the gardens, and kestrels hover over the larger green spaces.

Foxes have adapted successfully to suburban life in Locks Heath, as they have across southern England. The fox population is healthy, and most residents will see foxes in their gardens or on the streets, particularly at dawn and dusk. Foxes are divisive: some residents enjoy watching them, while others resent the mess they leave and the noise they make during the breeding season. The foxes are established and show no sign of leaving.

Badgers are present in the area, though less visible than foxes. Badger setts exist in the green spaces and woodland margins around Locks Heath, and the animals forage in gardens at night, leaving the characteristic snuffle holes in lawns where they have been searching for earthworms and leatherjackets. Badgers are legally protected, and any development that might affect a sett requires a licence and mitigation measures.

The hedgerows that were retained when the housing estates were built provide corridors for wildlife movement through the built-up area. These linear habitats connect gardens to green spaces and allow species to move between the fragmented patches of semi-natural habitat that survive within the development. The hedgerows also provide nesting sites for birds and shelter for invertebrates.

Titchfield Common, on the northern edge of the village, is the most important wildlife site in the immediate area. The heathland, scrub and woodland support a range of species that are not found in gardens, including heathland butterflies, reptiles such as common lizard and slow worm, and specialist birds. The common's designation as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation reflects its ecological value.

The coastal fringe to the south, around Hook Lake and the Solent shore, adds another dimension to the area's wildlife. Wading birds, wildfowl, and coastal plants and invertebrates create a community that is entirely different from the suburban and heathland habitats further inland. The winter months bring migrant birds from Scandinavia and the Arctic, and the mudflats are alive with feeding activity during the cooler months.

Insect life in Locks Heath includes a range of butterfly species, with common blues, gatekeepers, meadow browns and holly blues all present in gardens and green spaces during the summer. Bee populations, both honeybees and wild bees, benefit from the flowering plants in gardens, and the recent trend towards planting pollinator-friendly species has helped support bee numbers. Hedgehog numbers have declined nationally but the species is still present in Locks Heath gardens, and several residents actively provide food, water and hedgehog houses to support the local population.