PBC Where to Watch Birds Cow Pasture, Baston by Josh Jones

Click here for an OS map of the location

List of species seen at this site

We first discovered Baston Cow Pasture when looking for new walks for our dog, Emmy. It seemed like it would be an interesting walk, according to the OS map, with woodland and a lake which bordered on to farmland. It was Dad who did the walk first, and armed with his binoculars, set off just before I caught the bus to school.

When I saw him that evening, he told me about his sightings, including Common Sandpiper and a Snipe. I wanted to go down myself, but I had to wait for the weekend. Luckily, the Common Sandpiper was still there (the only one I would see that year for quite a while) along with another year tick, Corn Bunting. My first impressions of the place were good, and I could see a good bird list being put together for the place. If we didn't have the dog, we wouldn't have bothered to look on the OS map and discover this lovely little spot previously unknown to us.

The place can easily be covered in less than an hour due to its small size. When walking through the woodland on the way to the lake itself, check out the coniferous and deciduous trees for common species such as Finches and Tits all year round, while in spring and summer look out for Warblers such as Chiffchaff and Whitethroat. The trees look promising to hold large finch flocks with species such as Redpoll, Siskin and Goldfinch in the winter. At the bridge across the dyke, check for species previously mentioned and look out onto the farmland for Red-legged Partridge, Meadow Pipit and Skylark. Continuing along the path, you will come to a more open area. This is again good for Warblers, Tits and Finches, and look out for the odd Woodpecker. This is a good spot to look for different species of Thrushes throughout the year. A Spotted Flycatcher may be found here if you are lucky. At the end of this area you come to the lake. Here it is open and Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Pheasant and Yellowhammer can be seen easily.

As you walk alongside the lake (note: there is no right of way around the lake - stick to the main track) check out the lakeside growth for Reed Bunting, Coot and Moorhen, which all breed here. In spring and summer scan the reeds for Sedge and Reed Warbler.

You should now see huge telephone wires in front of you now, and Corn Bunting, Turtle Dove and Cuckoo are recorded regularly perched on the wires.

The lake itself holds Great-Crested and Little Grebes, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Greylag and Canada Geese, Mute Swan and Kingfisher all year round. In winter wildfowl numbers increase with Wigeon and Pochard joining the resident ducks in the colder months. If you are more lucky, an unusual species may be found in with the wildfowl, or a Water Rail could be seen skulking in the reedy margins.

Waders are a feature of the lake, and the best times to look for them are Winter and during migration. Waders in winter are mostly Snipe, with a small chance of something different such as a Green Sandpiper. Golden Plover may be seen on the agricultural fields. On migration anything can be found. Common Sandpiper are the most likely species to be seen (as these are recorded regularly), but Ringed and Little Ringed Plover, Ruff or Dunlin could be found if you are in luck. To prove anything could turn up, I found an Avocet here in spring 2003, and this was a fairly bad year for waders in the local area. It flew off NW to continue it's journey later on.

It is worth watching out for raptors as Sparrowhawk, Kestrel and Common Buzzard have all been recorded here.

When you have finished walking around, you must walk the same way you came back to your vehicle.

Baston Cow Pasture is a great place for a relaxing walk and a spot of bird watching, and one can expect 25-30 species in a short walk before breakfast. With it's range of habitats, the walk itself can produce very different birds. Being a hidden secret for my entire bird watching career, it was a pleasant suprise to find somewhere so good for birds only a few minute's drive from my own front door!