Stanground Wash
by George Walthew
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PBC Where to Watch Birds Stanground Wash by George Walthew |
| Sightings for past week: | All sightings | Excluding Common | Rare & Scarce |
| Sightings for past month: | All sightings | Excluding Common | Rare & Scarce |
| Sightings for past year: | All sightings | Excluding Common | Rare & Scarce |
This is a rather narrow strip of washland close to Peterborough city centre and crossed by the railway line to Norwich and Cambridge. The larger portion of it to the east abuts the High Wash and is similar to it (Stanground High Wash) but the western end is wetter and marshier and has standing water for a good part of the year. Stanground High Wash is set to pasture and has few wet ditches, it is at it’s best very briefly when the River Nene floods in late winter or early spring. At this time good numbers of wildfowl and waders can be found on it.
The western end south of the railway line is a local nature reserve and includes, what used to be, the old sidings on the railway embankment. In recent years, since it became a nature reserve, the wet meadows have suffered from a lack of management and have become very overgrown and weedy. Attempts have been made to rectify this by reintroducing grazing by cattle this summer.
Stanground Wash is most notable for the Jack Snipe to be found there in late winter as well as regularly occurring Stonechats. The reserve area has also held Spotted Crake and Garganey on passage.
Stanground High Wash is best viewed from the North Bank, the Northey end being the best.
Stanground Wash Nature Reserve is accessed from Stanground by taking Thistle Drive north off Coneygree Road and then turning right just passed Paul’s Supermarket. Take the gravel track immediately on your left and bare round to the right. The track leads down to Stanground Lock. Park on the left, just after the scouts hut. Walk passed the lock, crossing the stile at the gate and cross onto the wash via the bridge on the sluice. A footpath crosses the wash to the railway embankment from which most of the wash to the south can be overlooked by walking along it. Most of the wet bits are at the Peterborough (western) end.
