Berry Hill

Photo by Andy Lawrence
Berry Hill looking north (anything better would be useful)

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; Snow Bunting; Lapland Bunting;

Check-list

Birds you can see here include:

Great Cormorant, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Pink-footed Goose, Canada Goose, Common Teal, Mallard, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Eurasian Kestrel, Hobby, Peregrine Falcon, Common Pheasant , Red-legged Partridge, Grey Partridge, Moorhen, Oystercatcher, Little Ringed Plover, Eurasian Golden Plover, Northern Lapwing, Jack Snipe, Common Snipe, Woodcock, Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Curlew, Greenshank, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Cuckoo, Little Owl, Tawny Owl, Long-eared Owl, Short-eared Owl, Common Swift, Wryneck, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Sky Lark, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, House Martin, Tree Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, White Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Waxwing, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Black Redstart, Common Redstart, Whinchat, Stonechat, Northern Wheatear and Greenland Wheatear, Ring Ouzel, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Grasshopper Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Wood Warbler, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Goldcrest, Spotted Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Red-backed Shrike, Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Raven, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Brambling, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Lesser Redpoll, Siskin, Linnet, Common Crossbill, Bullfinch, Lapland Bunting, Snow Bunting, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting.

Escape: African Grey Parrot

Current site total

108

Please note: The only approved and complete list of birds for this site is held within the Staffordshire birds database - contact the Staffordshire County Bird Recorder for details.

Other Wildlife

To do

Site Information

History and Use

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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 checking for chats, hawthorn scrub near industrial units in east attracts some thrushes and finches, etc

Access and Facilities

Google map for Berry Hill

Access excellent from several points around the site: end of Arbourfield Drive; etc

Terrain largely good with some metaled 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

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Regularly bird-watched by:

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Further Reading

• 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

• Stoke-on-Trent City Council page

Please add if any reputable, non-commercial, sites are known.

Other sites nearby are:

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Reviews

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