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| Marsh Lane Nature Reserve |
Located between Solihull and Coventry, Marsh Lane Nature Reserve is the premier wetland reserve in the county of the West Midlands. Consisting of two main pools originally formed during quarrying activities, they are easily viewable from four hides located around the reserve. Access is by permit only, details of which can be obtained here.
Passage periods inevitably produce the best birds with a wide range of waders, gulls and terns often being recorded. Typical passage waders include Green Sandpiper, Greenshank and Black-tailed Godwit, while Grey Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Little Stint and Wood Sandpiper are all noted more or less annually. Past rarities have included Stone Curlew, Spotted Sandpiper, Grey Phalarope, Spoonbill, Black Kite and Hoopoe.
Sheepwash Urban Park is a Site of Local Interest for Nature Conservation and owned by Sandwell Borough Council. It lies off the New Main Line canal between Great Bridge and Oldbury and encompasses a wide range of habitats including scrub, grassland, woodland and lakes. Access is from the end of Johns Lane, off the A461.
During the breeding season it hosts nesting Little Ringed Plover and Goosanders may be present during the winter months while there are recent records of Little Egret, Little Gull and Kittiwake. In common with many green sites in large urban areas, it has an extraordinary track record for attracting rarities. Over the years these have included Black-necked Grebes, Spoonbills, Night Heron, Grey Phalarope and Dusky Warbler.
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WEST MIDLANDS COUNTY MAP INDEX |
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