Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park

Please click below for a map.

Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park.

This lovely Country Park used to be an industrial site. Adjacent to the car park, access through a small chain link gate opposite the car park entrance is a well designed bird feeding station which is kept going throughout Winter and early Spring attracting a very good head of birds with regular visitors including Tree Sparrow, Yellowhammer, Robin, Wren, Blackbird, Redwing, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Bull Finch, Great Spotted Woodpecker. There is a second smaller feeding station behind the visitors centre but isn't as good as the main one.

There is one large pond and several smaller ones dotted around the site attracting a good variety of water birds, both residents and migrants. There is a permanent herd of Mallard, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Coot and Moorhen, with Cormorants, Little Grebe, Ruddy Duck, Heron and Goosander seen almost daily. Mute Swans and Canada Geese breed each year. Goldeneye, Red Crested Pochard, Kingfisher and Smew seem to crop up each year. The pond can be accessed from three sides, the fourth being a nature reserve. The surrounding bushes include a good selection of the smaller birds. Whilst unsightly electricity pylons cross the site, they provide perfect lookout points for numerous Kestrels, Sparrowhawks and the occasional Marsh and Hen Harriers which have been known to nest in the park.

There is an article about this site in the November newsletter. Please click here to view it.

Short Eared Owls are also present in the park.

There are some photos from Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park below:

The Visitor Centre.              Views of the Lake.