c

Runcorn Hill

Cheshire  >  United Kingdom

Runcorn Hill (park & local nature reserve) is situated at a former sandstone quarry.

Ajouté* par Bill Morton
Dernière actualisation 29 janvier 2021
Cette zone d'observation n'a pas encore été évaluée. Soyez le premier à noter de 1 à 5 étoiles

Description

Runcorn Hill (park & local nature reserve) is situated in the heart of Runcorn (old town). Commanding panoramic views over the Mersey Estuary looking north west to Liverpool, south west to the Welsh hills and south east to Frodsham and Delamere. The habitats cover lowland heath with scattered scrub of gorse, silver birch, wooded hillside, formal parkland, playing fields and recreational small lake. The football fields to the east of the site alongside Park Road are good for Mouette rieuse loitering and good numbers of Choucas des tours. Since 2016 a Nordic (type) Choucas des tours has been present with its fellow corvids.

The East Quarry is an area of heath with patches of bramble and silver birch. A small pool attracts passerines to bathe and drink and can be good for spring and autumn migrants. Rougequeue à front blanc, Gobemouche noir and Pouillot siffleur are possible with Pouillot fitis, Chiffchaff, Sizerin cabaret and Pic épeiche the more usual species to be encountered. The 'Cove Walks' are mostly tarmaced but access to the top of the hill is restricted with uneven and steep ground. The top can bring in Traquet motteux and Merle à plastron. Mostly migrants are overflying and vismigging can be rewarding for those with a little patience.

A larger and deeper former quarry called 'Happy Valley' is mostly wooded with steep sandstone rock faces with the possibility of seeing both spring and autumn migrants sheltering here in the tall trees. A walk to the top of the valley can be accessed from a car park off Highlands Road where a muddy track leads to the rock face called 'Frogs Mouth'. Another good place for watching bird migration, views across the Mersey Estuary and watching skeins of Oie à bec court leaving Frodsham Score at dawn.

Generally a decent spot for a short break of birding and again much to be discovered, partically with vizmigging (watching visible migration) mostly undiscovered.

Spring: Possible Rougequeue à front blanc, Pouillot siffleur, Merle à plastron and Fauvette babillarde.

Summer: Fauvette grisette and Fauvette babillarde, Pouillot fitis, Pic épeiche, Mésange noire, Faucon hobereau and Faucon pèlerin.

Autumn: Vismigging, Rougequeue à front blanc, Pouillot montagnard, Traquet motteux, Tarin des aulnes and Faucon hobereau.

Winter: Oie à bec court (flying over), Sittelle torchepot, Grimpereau des bois, Pic épeiche, Sizerin cabaret, Grive litorne, Grive mauvis and possible Jaseur boréal (in Waxwing invasion years).

Détails

Accès

Runcorn Hill Park is situated on Highlands Road, Runcorn where a car park is located and a short walk brings you to the pathways that filter through the hills. Access to the Heath Playing fields and recreation area is located on Park Road. A cafe and toilets are located at the top end of the childrens playground. Local bus services operate from Runcorn old town on High Street and operate to Greenway Road Cenotaph which joins uo with Highlands Road and the hill park at the top of that road. Runcorn Railway Station off Picow Farm Road is the nearest station to this site and a 10 minute walk from here up Greenway Road brings you to the Cenotaph and Highlands Road.

Terrain et Habitat

Arbres et buissons disséminés , Prairie , Vallée , Canyon/falaise , Landes/bruyères , Lac , Ville/village

Conditions

Vallonné , Plat , Paysage ouvert , Rocailleux

Boucle

Oui

Avez-vous besoin d'une longue-vue?

Peut être utile

Saison idéale pour observer

Toute l'année

Meilleure période pour une visite

Printemps , Migration automnale , Migration printanière

Itinéraire

Route pavée , Sentier large

Niveau de difficulté de l'itinéraire

Facile

Accessible via

A pied

Observatoire/hutte d'observation

Non

Voir les sites d'observation voisins publiés sur Birdingplaces

Carte

Top 5 oiseaux

Autres oiseaux que vous pouvez observer ici

Afficher plus d'oiseaux Afficher moins d'oiseaux
Afficher plus de photos Afficher moins de photos

Commentaires

Écrire un commentaire
Évaluer ce spot