Amwell Quarry

Amwell Quarry is owned by St Albans Sand and Gravel Company Ltd. There is no public access into the reserve or quarry, but there are good views over the reserve from paths round the boundary. Situated in the North of the Lee Valley Regional Park, Amwell has become one of the best birdwatching sites in the Lee Valley. The reserve benefited from the foresight of a few local naturalists who managed to persuade the Gravel Company to use its heavy machinery to landscape the banks in a more wildlife-friendly way before moving out and leaving the pits to nature. The result is a good range of habitat with a good number of bird species. In winter the pits contain a variety of wildfowl - tufted duck, pochard, mallard, shoveller, gadwall, teal and wigeon can usually be found and goldeneye, smew and goosander may be seen. Canada geese, mute swan and Egyptian geese are resident, as are great crested grebe and little grebe. There is usually a mixture of gulls in winter and common tern nest on rafts in summer. The muddy edges and margins provide feeding for snipe lapwing, redshank, green and common sandpiper and the shingle provides nesting for the migratory little ringed plover in summer. There is a small reed bed which often houses a bittern in winter and water rail may be seen from the hide - with patience. Watch out also for a kingfisher or grey wagtail along the river, check the alder trees for siskin, redpoll, treecreeper and goldcrest in winter and the scrub areas for warblers in summer. The surrounding trees and farmland may well contain redwing, fieldfare, green woodpecker and perhaps a kestrel or sparrowhawk. There is always something to make a visit to Amwell interesting and worthwhile.

Sightings from previous visits at various times of year.

Mallard, Shoveller, Gadwall, Wigeon, Teal, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Goldeneye, Smew, Ruddy Duck, Canada Goose, Egyptian Goose, Mute Swan, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Moorhen, Coot, Water Rail, Snipe, Redshank, Lapwing, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Green Sandpiper, Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Blackbird, Jay, Magpie, Siskin, Redpoll, Treecreeper, Goldcrest, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Cormorant, Grey Heron, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Marsh Tit, Reed Bunting, Redwing, Fieldfare, Mistle Thrush, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Common Gull, Common Tern, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Hobby.