Bateswood

Now a haven for skylarks and lapwing, the reserve is part of a former opencast mine workings and didn't exist 10 years ago!

Highlights

• A spring visit is the best time to hear the unmistakable call of the skylarks

• Dodge the dragonflies - or watch as they dart around you on a hot summer's day

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Reclaimed by wildlife

Since mining activities stopped the reserve has become a haven for a wide range of species. Perhaps most notable for its population of skylarks, their song is unmistakable during spring and summer. Other birds are beginning to use the site too and lapwings have begun breeding in small numbers. The young trees and scrub provide homes and song perches for small birds such as chiffchaff, willow warbler, blackcap and wren.

Delightful dragonflies

The small pools and wet, marshy areas provide homes for insects and amphibians. With the absence of fish in many of the pools there are relatively few predators of the diverse aquatic insects and their larvae, which are able to thrive in large numbers. Over 13 species of dragonfly have been recorded to date and if you sit quietly on a warm sunny day and you may find yourself becoming a temporary perch for foraging dragonflies! One pool supports a colony of newts, including great crested newts which are an important species and are protected by law.