Rate birdingplace Malvern Hills
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8 mile long upland granite ridge covered in woodland, heath, scrub and moorland with iron age hillforts. 'Malvern' derives from the Welsh for 'bare hill'.
The Malvern Hills are a popular walking area. Good for varied wildlife including marsh orchids, adders, harvest mice, foxes, badgers, polecats. Best birding areas are Midsummer hill for owls, sparvhök, Nötväcka, grönsångare, svartvit flugsnappare and rödstjärt. Castlemorton Common for svarthakad buskskvätta, hämpling, trädpiplärka, gräshoppsångare, gulsparv, ängspiplärka, possibly turturduva. Chase End Hill for wintering stenknäck, bergfink, snösparv, brunsiska and grönsiska. North Hill for migrant ringtrast and stenskvätta. British Camp reservoir and Hollybush Quarry for migrant Fiskgjuse. Two alpkråka visited the area in July 2019.
From South Wales leave M50 at junction 2. Go south on Gloucester road then immediately left to Castlemorton. From Birmingham exit M5 at J7 then A44/A449 westward. Car parks are numerous throughout the area. There are train stations at Colwall, Great Malvern and Malvern Link. Click on a P in the map to get directions to that parking.
Malvern developed in Victorian times as a health resort and spa town, when visitors included Charles Darwin.