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Description
Lower Hartshay and the Cromford Canal support a wide range of birds throughout the year. Перепелятник are often seen hunting over the village and surrounding fields, while Канюк soar overhead and the occasional Красный коршун drifts through. Серая цапля regularly feed along the reedbeds and canal edges, with Горная трясогузка picking insects from the water margins. Ополовник move through the trees in busy family parties, and Соловьиная широкохвостка are frequently heard calling from dense reedbeds.
Autumn and winter bring an increase in wildfowl and passage birds, with Канадская казарка , Серый гусь , Кряква , Чирок-свистунок and Свиязь using the canal and nearby waters. Чибис , Бекас and Водяной пастушок may appear in wetter areas, while Озерная чайка , Серебристая чайка and Клуша gather on open water and fields. Thrushes are a highlight at this time of year, with Белобровик and Рябинник arriving from the continent alongside resident Певчий дрозд and Деряба. Mixed tit flocks, Желтоголовый королёк , Черноголовый щегол , Чиж and Обыкновенная чечётка are regular, and corvids including Галка , Грач , Сорока and Сойка are ever-present.
Spring and summer see the area come alive with breeding birds and migrants. Чёрный стриж , Деревенская ласточка and Воронок feed low over the canal and reedbeds, often joined by hunting Чеглок in warm weather. Reedbeds hold Тростниковая камышевка , Камышевка-барсучок and Соловьиная широкохвостка , while Славка-мельничек and Теньковка sing from scrub and hedgerows. Горная трясогузка , Камышница , Лысуха , Лазоревка and Большая синица regularly breed along the canal, and Полевой жаворонок can be heard over nearby fields. Occasional highlights include Горная чечетка Обыкновенный сверчок , Большой кроншнеп and Пустельга обыкновенная.
Overall, this short walk offers excellent habitat diversity and rewarding birding in all seasons, with something new to see throughout the year.
Details
Access
Cromford Canal and Lower Hartshay are located just west of Ripley. There’s no official parking, but on-road parking is possible. Please be mindful of local houses and park considerately. Press P on the map for directions.