Bathwick to Batheaston www.bathnats.org.uk Take a walk with BathNats Bathwick to Batheaston Bath Natural History Society guide to nature around the city bramble and sedge that runs in parallel hedges in this area and you should find Beckford Road, Bathwick, to Batheaston via canal towpath and fields, with optional variation to the river. Here, on 10 April, and well at least one Common Whitethroat and compiled by Lucy Starling Recommended OS Map Explorer 155 Bristol & Bath into May, has been a male Sedge perhaps, if you are lucky and listen Warbler . I have had this species drop in carefully, a Lesser Whitethroat . Proceed for a day or two on migration at different along the tarmac track to the metal gate n to 7 sites along the Avon in past years. The that meets Mill Lane. Bathampton as 6 he bird was clearly establishing territory by Manor Residential Home is on your left. at way A l B 8 Rai 4 vigorous song-flights. I am truly thrilled Linger awhile and admire the apple 4 A by this encounter, every day the bird is blossom in the small orchard and the 5 n vo A still present, perhaps with a mate but so variety of trees here and listen and er iv 4 R 4 A far not yet clearly seen by me. watch out for Song Thrush and Mistle Thrush . By the Manor is a small Rookery d R 3 n In this area, with mature trees and o n d o and this provides some entertainment n pt Lo m al a hawthorn hedgerows, in April and May, n th for the birder in March when adults are a a 2 n C B look and listen out for Chiffchaff, n Avo repairing old nests, with some canny Avo t & River ne Warminster Blackcap , Common Whitethroat , Ken Rd pilfering going on too! I love the sound of Greenfinch , Green and Great Spotted a Rookery in Spring. 1 Woodpecker, Song Thrush and Mistle Thrush . Overhead, you may see Grey No 5 . Cross Mill Lane and go through the Bathwick Heron, Raven , Buzzard, Kestrel, gate of the shared cycle/footpath that Sparrowhawk, Red Kite, or one of our ends in Batheaston car park by the river. resident Peregrine pair or one of their The fields on your right adjoin the edge This is essentially an easy walk on gravel, No. 2 Do not cross the river but take past offspring. In winter months, and if of the Bathampton Meadows Avon tarmac and grass over level ground path to your right, through the metal we have had a very cols spell, look out Wildlife Trust (AWT) reserve. The path which is worth doing in any month of the gate into a large field with the River Avon for wildfowl, possibly Tufted Duck, Little takes you of course very close to the year, best explored between April and on your left and railway embankment on Grebe, Water Rail or even Goosander . river and the Tollbridge. Rest awhile and end of August. your right. Wander down to the explore around the Tollbridge; look and riverbank and look and listen out for No. 3 Proceed under the A4 by-pass with listen out for Sand Martin (May No. 1 Canal towpath at Beckford Road Kingfisher ; I had a lot of activity and New Leaf self-catering cottages on your onwards) Kingfisher , Grey Wagtail (A36); bus stops nearby close to Forester noise along the bank below opposite right, heading for a metal gate in the (Dipper is a rare sighting for me here) Road. Proceed east along the towpath of Grosvenor flats in April. There are usually hedgerow that meets the farm tarmac and in season, damselflies and the Kennet and Avon Canal where you Moorhen and Mallards around too. This track. Alternatively, follow the riverbank. dragonflies. The most notable species I may come across a Moorhen or two, is a popular dog walking area so need I You will come across lots of Cuckoo see here most years, in early/middle perhaps a Mute Swan and take the say it, look where you are putting your Flower in the damp patches on this walk, June is Scarce Chaser . If you are walking gently sloping path to the left that leads feet! The footpath actually heads in a Red Campion and Garlic Mustard and on the path, or cycling, in late May trough to to Grosvenor Bridge. From March, you straight line directly adjacent to the a warm April day, you should see many middle of July, there should be plenty of should hear Blackcaps singing, invariably railway embankment and you will come Orange Tip and also Comma, Peacock, Swifts and House Martins around. The Blackbird , Robin , Wren, Dunnock and to a dense bramble patch where there is Small Tortoiseshell, Brimstone and Green latter species will of course remain far perhaps Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Song a small stream on your left. From here, I Veined and Small White butterflies. longer, into September. Thrush in this area plus the ubiquitous suggest you head diagonally left towards Great and Blue Tit . a long, fairly narrow wet ditch, full of No. 4 . There are good thick hawthorn No. 6 . Batheaston Walled Garden is worth www.bathnats.org.uk a stop, if only for a snack from your footpath underneath the end of the by- rucksack. Best sighting here a few years pass towards Bathford and take the ago, Long-tailed Tits building their nest in sloping footpath path off to your right a prickly bush in early March. that runs immediately adjacent to the railway line and over the river before No.7. Exit the car park and turn right and dropping down to cross an open field stop when you just past the car sales through Bathampton Farm. There are room. Here, you can look across the river fine views to your left of Bathford Church to the edge of the AWT reserve. In and in the distance ahead, of the Limpley March, I noted a single Grey Heron’s nest Stoke Valley and above it the woods of low down in a willow; the adults were Bathampton. clearly feeding a youngster. And, below them, I saw a pair of Teal , along with Before you cross the railway line, taking Cormorant and the ever- present Canada great care, turn left along the relatively Goose . In April, I was amazed to see a new tarmac access road that bends to male Mandarin Duck flying low over the the right, under a railway arch, heading river, heading off in the direction of Box. up to the new housing development of Best sighting here was on 26 December, Charlcombe Homes (Tyning Road). There about 11am, some 10 or more years ago, is an extensive rabbit warren and lots of a large male dog Otter! The reserve does nettles and hawthorn trees and on 6 attract wetland species such as Reed May, I was delighted to find a number of Warbler , Sedge Warbler and Reed Common Whitethroat with at least two Bunting and perhaps Common Snipe singing males. I also saw two Swallows (winter ). and a few House Martins and a Song Thrush, with food in its bill; no doubt a At this point, you could retrace your steps nest nearby. Having finally crossed the back to the Tollbridge and possibly cross railway line, it is just a short walk to the the bridge and take the footpath off to George PH by the canal and you can the left that leads back to Grosvenor on choose your route back into the city, if the other side of the river, which means a that is where you came from, either short walk along the London Road. along the towpath or back across the fields alongside the Rive Avon. No. 8 Alternatively, you could continue Lucy Starling away from Batheaston and follow the.