Description
Hill Court Farm and Blacklands nature reserve has grazing marshes, wetlands and wildlife-friendly farmland. There are three different viewing screens and one permissive path. NOTE: during Winter this site can be flooded. During Spring and Summer, the grassland, woodland and hedges becomes alive with breeding skřivan polní, strnad rákosní, linduška luční, budníček menší and kukačka obecná, Brown Hares, multiple different butterfly species and swathes of wildflowers. The scrape holds breeding čejka chocholatá, kulík říční and koliha velká. Also during this time, vlaštovka obecná, jiřička obecná, volavka stříbřitá, volavka popelavá and numerous gull species come to drink, bath and feed around the scrape. During Spring migration, very small numbers of čírka modrá can occasionally turn up.
In Autumn, the occasional passage migrant such as vodouš kropenatý, can pass through. During Winter, large flocks of over 1,000 čejka chocholatá gather at the scrape, as well as hundreds of kulík zlatý. Also, large numbers of hvízdák eurasijský, čírka obecná, kachna divoká and lžičák pestrý can be seen. This site is one of the best nature reserves in Worcestershire for wintering ostralka štíhlá, with up to 300 induviduals being recorded in some years. Scarcer species recorded during Winter include bekasina otavní, sluka lesní, potápka malá, dřemlík tundrový and moták pochop.
Details
Access
There is a small layby situated on Marsh Road at the main entrance of the reserve. This can take around 4 cars at a time though there is barely ever that many cars parked there. Click on the P in the map for directions. After you have parked, the main path down into the reserve is well marked and simple to follow. The path is about 700 meters long.