Nature Reserves around Hayling Island
Protected habitats and wildlife sites
Hayling Island and its surrounding waters are rich in protected wildlife habitats. The harbours, coastline, mudflats, salt marshes and grasslands support species of national and international importance, and several formal nature reserves protect the most valuable areas.
The Hayling Island Local Nature Reserve at the southern tip of the island encompasses areas of shingle, dune grassland and coastal scrub. The shingle habitats support specialist plants including sea kale, yellow horned poppy and sea campion, alongside invertebrates adapted to the harsh, mobile shingle environment. The reserve provides nesting habitat for ringed plover and other ground-nesting birds during the breeding season.
Chichester Harbour, forming the island's eastern boundary, is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a Special Protection Area and a Ramsar wetland of international importance. The harbour's intertidal mudflats and salt marshes support vast numbers of wading birds and wildfowl during the autumn and winter, including dark-bellied brent geese, dunlin, grey plover, curlew and redshank.
Langstone Harbour to the west holds similar designations and similar wildlife. The harbour is a key site for overwintering waders and geese, and the mudflats are a feeding ground of international significance. The RSPB manages land at the northern edge of Langstone Harbour, where former farmland has been allowed to revert to salt marsh and wetland, creating new habitat for birds and other wildlife.
The farmland and open spaces on Hayling itself provide habitat for barn owls, kestrels, hares and a range of farmland birds. The hedgerows, ditches and field margins support wildflowers, butterflies and small mammals. The island's relatively low-intensity land use, compared to intensive arable areas further inland, helps to maintain these populations.
Access to the nature reserves and protected areas is generally on foot, via public footpaths and permissive paths. Visitors are asked to keep to the paths, to keep dogs under control and to avoid disturbing nesting birds during the breeding season. The Chichester Harbour Conservancy and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust provide information on access, events and volunteering.
The wildlife of Hayling Island is one of the island's greatest assets. The harbours, the coast and the open spaces provide a natural environment of exceptional quality, and the designations and reserves ensure that this heritage is protected for future generations.