A good migration watchpoint amidst the conurbation
It’s not surprising that this high point on the Birmingham/ Walsall border proves attractive to birds, in particular to passage migrants, with pasture, arable fields, small copses and grassland. Recent restoration work to improve the heathland aspect has also proved to be a success, with more birds and insects utilising the area. The Beacon rises to over 700 feet above sea level. Recent sightings of interest include Merlin, Pied Flycatchers and small flocks of Crossbills.
WHERE TO WATCH
1
Start from the main car park and head south-east, newly coppiced areas are proving attractive to Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Garden Warbler. Check pylons towards the riding stables for Raven, which breed in the area, and they often hold a Peregrine, also.
2
Follow the rough track adjacent to the stables. Hedgerows hold Bullfinch, Goldfinch, Long-tailed Tit, Dunnock and Song Thrush.
3
Continue heading northwest and listen for singing Yellowhammers, while areas of gorse hold good numbers of breeding Linnet and Whitethroat. Kestrels often hunt the area together with Buzzards flying overhead.
4
Follow the tarmac track adjacent to the covered reservoir. The hedgerow here is favoured by passage migrants, with Redstart, Lesser Whitethroat and Spotted Flycatcher favouring the area, particularly in autumn. The grass covered reservoir is popular with Meadow Pipits and Redwing, during winter. Check the grassland and paddocks for passage Wheatear and large numbers of corvids.
5
The more open areas with newly planted trees host Linnet, Reed Bunting and Stock Dove, with areas of conifers attracting Coal Tit, Goldcrest, Chaffinch, Jay, Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers.
6
The lower fields around Crook Lane/ Barr Lakes Lane again hold a few pairs of breeding Yellowhammers, Sky Larks and Linnets, chance of Barn and Little Owls, Lapwing, Pied Wagtail and the occasional Cuckoo.
INSIDER KNOWLEDGE Combine with a visit to nearby Sandwell Valley or Sutton Park, where a day list may reach as high as 70 species during a good spring or autumn passage.
TARGET SPECIES
● Peregrine
● Buzzard
● Raven
● Sparrowhawk
● Song Thrush
● Chiffchaff
● Blackcap
● Willow Warbler
● Meadow Pipit
● Tree Pipit
● Wheatear
● Redstart
● Spotted Flycatcher
● Crossbill
● Goldcrest
● Treecreeper
● Great Spotted Woodpecker
● Green Woodpecker
The walk starts from the legendary Valley of Rocks, a dry valley running parallel to the coast, which was at the very limit of glaciation during the last Ice Age and boasts some extraordinary rock formations. The South West Coast Path (SWCP) runs through the valley and past Lee Abbey, an arresting Victorian Gothic building whose associated farmland and woodland is bird-rich and managed as part of a SSSI. SIMONE STANBROOK-BYRNE
WHERE TO WATCH
1
The Valley of Rocks is ‘access land’, so wander at will. Wheatears are frequent in summer as well as
Stonechat, Sky Lark and Raven. Jackdaw, Rook, Pied Wagtail, House Martin and Swallow are also very likely. Buzzards soar above the backdrop of woodland. The valley features in RD Blackmore’s enduring novel, Lorna Doone, as the home of Mother Meldrum.
2
Paths lead to the gloriously craggy coastline, a good vantage point for Peregrine. Along the coast expect Fulmar, Razorbill, Guillemot, Kittiwake, Lesser and Great Blackbacked and Herring Gulls. Listen out for Oystercatcher. You might also spot seals and dolphins.
3 coastal farmland where Linnet may hang out as well as Mistle and Song Thrush, Blackbird, Wren and various tits. There’s also a chance of Blackcap and Whitethroat and, in the tall conifers that flank the path between Crock Point and the road, listen for Goldcrest. The walk can be extended along the coast as far as you wish.
4
The deciduous woodland behind the coast is delightful though, sadly, lots of Ash is being felled. Fast-flowing streams, often with cascading waterfalls, thread their way attractively through the trees, so Grey Wagtail is a possibility. Follow the bridlepath to remote Bonhill Cottage in Bonhill Woods, then take the footpath back through Caffyns Heanton and Six Acre Woods.
PRACTICAL INFO
POSTCODE: EX35 6JJ
GRID REF: SS705497
MAPS: OS Explorer OL9, OS Landranger 180
CAR PARK: clearly marked on OS map in Valley of Rocks. There is also parking west of Lee Abbey, along the toll road
(car fee: £ 2)
TERRAIN: Coast path, field and woodland paths with some steeply undulating, rough-underfoot sections. Some paths are very rough but the SWCP follows the picturesque toll road, which offers well-surfaced walking between Valley of Rocks and Lee Abbey. Also a section of surfaced path out to the coastal viewpoint in Valley of Rocks, back towards Lynton
ACCESSIBILITY: Open all year
FACILITIES: Tea Cottage, Lee Abbey; Mother Meldrum’s Tea Rooms & Gardens, Valley of Rocks. Toilets in both car parks
INSIDER KNOWLEDGE: Semi-feral goats have roamed the valley since Domesday, though the ancestors of the present herd came here from Northumberland in the 1970s.
TARGET SPECIES SPRING/SUMMER Redstart
Pied Flycatcher Swallow House Martin Sky Lark Wheatear Stonechat Willow Warbler Chiffchaff Peregrine Kittiwake Fulmar Guillemot Razorbill Various gulls
WINTER Buzzard Rook Jackdaw Gannet Oystercatcher