Habitat type: Tidal mudflat and salt marsh
Size of reserve: 41 hectares / 101 acres
OS map number: 105
Grid reference: SW 891 404 (Trelonk, where road crosses river at Tuckingmill Creek) or SW 887 419 (the quay near Ruan Lanihorne, a good location to view the Reserve)
Best time to visit:Autumn to spring
Please contact the Trust before visiting this reserve
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Directions
The reserve is situated on the Roseland Peninsula. The nearest village is Ruan Lanihorne.
Access
Access is very limited. There is no access to the Trelonk part of the reserve as it is bounded by private farmland and impassable mudflats. However it may be seen from lanes around Ruan Lanihorne. The Ardevora section is only accessible by boat. The exposed mudflats are potentially dangerous, so visitors are requested not to attempt to gain access by crossing them.
Characteristic wildlife of this reserve
The greenshank is an agile and energetic bird often first noticed by its piping triple-whistle call. These elegant birds have a gently turned-up bill and a pale plumage with pale-green legs. In flight, they show a pale tail and pointed white rump.
Small numbers of black-tailed godwit visit from July to January. These are large waders, with long legs and bill and the eponymous black tail, with a white rump and bold white bar on the wing. When they first arrive in the summer, they may still be seen in their chestnut breeding plumage.
Invertebrate animals, notably molluscs, crustaceans and worms live in the mud and create the rich estuarine ecosystem. A feature of most molluscs is their calcareous shell which, because of well preserved fossils, can be traced back over 500 million years.
Other information
Drawing on the china clay close by, the Trelonk brickworks were situated on Tuckingmill Creek in the late 19th century and the kiln chimney survives today as a local landmark.
