Coombe Hill Meadows

Leader: Simon Ashley

Coombe Hill Meadows, managed by Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, is a prime wetland habitat that attracts a diverse range of bird species. Our visit in April means many of the migrants are fresh in and will be trying to establish their nesting territories. Here’s what we  can expect to see:

• Curlew
• Black-tailed Godwit – Often spotted in the meadows during spring migration
• Ruff – These medium-sized wading birds pass through during spring migration
• Great White Egret, Little Egret – These impressive white herons have become increasingly common visitors
• Garganey – This scarce summer visitor duck may be seen in late April as they arrive for the breeding season
• Northern Pintail – These elegant ducks can be observed in the wetland areas
• Greylag Goose – Common resident at Coombe Hill throughout spring
• Sedge Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat – These summer migrants arrive in April and can be heard singing from hedgerow that line the canal
• Cuckoo – Late April marks the arrival of these iconic summer visitors
• Redstart – These attractive migrants pass through in spring
• Bullfinch – Resident birds that can be spotted in hedgerows and woodland edges
• Treecreeper – These small woodland birds can be found in wooded areas near the meadows
• Buzzard, Marsh Harrier– Commonly seen soaring over the meadows

Conservation Focus

Coombe Hill Meadows is particularly important for warblers, waders, and wildfowl, with habitat improvement works benefiting 26 species across these groups. Seven of these species are of conservation concern, making late April an excellent time to observe both resident birds and spring migrants. ,

Logistics

This will be a car sharing trip aiming to arrive on site around 9:30 am, we’ll use our WhatsApp group to coordinate sharing. It’s a flat walk on well-made paths, though it can get muddy.  The walk should last around 3 hours.