Overview
Green oasis area between Fenton, Bentilee and Berry Hill, Stoke-on-Trent, North Staffordshire. Good at any time of the year but does attract some interesting birds during migration times
Reclaimed coal industry area, consisting of open hillside grassland, rough paddock areas and some scrubby loose hedgerows and ditches and a few scattered ponds but no large area of open water.
Birds
Notable Species
Top site for Wheatear in Spring; Stonechat can (usually) be relied on in Autumn and Winter; Whinchat in late summer; Ring Ouzels are occasional visitors which can linger.
Rarities
Red-backed Shrike; Wryneck; Black Redstart; [please add the others]
Check-list
Known to be incomplete - please add the extras species previous contributors not seen and adjust the total:
Birds you can see here include:
Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Mallard, Common Teal, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Eurasian Kestrel, Common Pheasant, Grey Partridge, Red-legged Partridge, Moorhen, Eurasian Golden Plover, Northern Lapwing, Common Snipe, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Stock Dove, Feral Pigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Common Woodpigeon, Common Cuckoo, Little Owl, Common Swift, Wryneck (2006), Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Sky Lark, Northern House Martin,Swallow, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Dunnock, Winter Wren, Eurasian Robin, Black Redstart, Common Redstart, Whinchat, Stonechat, Wheatear, Eurasian Blackbird, Fieldfare, Ring Ouzel, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Redwing, Grasshopper Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap, Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, European Starling, Red-backed Shrike (2006), Common Jay, Eurasian Magpie, Eurasian Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Rook, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Bullfinch, Lesser Redpoll, Eurasian Linnet, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting,
Very incomplete Total = 75
Please note: The only approved and complete list of birds for this site is held within the Staffordshire birds database - contact the Staffordshire Recorder for details.
Other Wildlife
To do
Site Information
History and Use
To do
Areas of Interest
Hillside below transmitter mast has a "cloughy" appearance helped by scree of coal in the steeper parts. Horse paddocks well grazed hence good aspect for Wheatears and fences here need chaecking for chats, hawthorn scrub near industrial units in east attracts some thrushes and finches, etc
Access and Facilities
Access excellent from several points around the site: end of Arbourfield Drive; etc
Terrain largely good with some metalled path surfaces. Generally dry enough for shoes/boots rather than wellies
Can be busy during the day with dog-walkers being main users
Survey work known
To do
Contact Details
To do
Regularly bird-watched by:
add names;
References
- A section in Where to Watch Birds in the West Midlands, Graham Harrison et al, 3rd edition 2007, Christopher Helm, ISBN 978-0-7136-6419-5
- ??Stoke-on-Trent City Council leaflet - more details needed
External Links
Other sites nearby are:
To do
Reviews
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