Just down the road from where I work in Chelford a sand quarry has just been turned into a nature reserve.This has took many months to do and is now a good place for me to spend my dinner hour birding as Lapwing hall pool further down the road is still under maintenance and will be closed until the end of the year.The new area has been named Astle sandpits which was previously known as Mere farm quarry.
AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH BEFORE RESTORATION OF ASTLE ESTATE SAND PITS
THE SANDPITS BEFORE THEY WERE FILLED
AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH OF THE AREA BEFORE THE CONSTRUCTION OF FENCES AND TREE PLANTING
THE FOLLOWING PHOTOGRAPHS BELOW ARE OF THE AREA NOW IT HAS BEEN RESTORED
As you can see from aerial photographs there is a vast area to cover which leads onto another pool with plenty of woodland and open scrub.I started to visit the area last week and have already seen over 60 species of birds during my lunch break and visiting on my way home after work.The following species of birds have been seen:
1.Mute Swan
2.Grey Lag Goose
3.Canada Goose
4.Pheasant
5.Cormorant
6.Mallard
7.Tufted Duck
8.Grey Heron
9.Great Crested grebe
10 Little Grebe
11.Buzzard
12.Kestrel
13.Moorhen
14.Coot
15.Oystercatcher
16.Little Ringed Plover
17.Lapwing
18.Dunlin
19.Black Headed Gull
20.Feral Pigeon
21.Wood Pigeon
22.Collared Dove
23.Stock Dove
24.Swift
25.Green Woodpecker
26.Magpie
27.Jay
28.Jackdaw
29.Rook
30.Carrion Crow
31.Blue Tit
32.Great Tit
33.Long Tailed Tit
34.Skylark
35.Sand Martin
36.Swallow
37.House Martin
38.Chiffchaff
39.Willow Warbler
40.Garden Warbler
41.Whitethroat
42.Lesser Whitethroat
44.Blackcap
45.Sedge Warbler
46.Reed Warbler
47.Nuthatch
48.Treecreeper
49.Starling
50.Wren
51.Mistle Thrush
52.Song Thrush
53.Blackbird
54.Robin
55.Dunnock
56.House Sparrow
57.Yellow Wagatail
59.Grey Wagtail
60.Chaffinch
61.Greenfinch
62.Goldfinch
63.Linnet
64.Reed Bunting
