Combe Pool
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP390793 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 50.97 | 2016-05-04 |
Birds & fish recorded
Birds
| Species | Season |
|---|---|
| great crested grebe | Breeding |
| great crested grebe | Wintering |
| grey heron | Breeding |
| grey heron | Wintering |
| grey wagtail | Breeding |
| grey wagtail | Roosting |
| grey wagtail | Wintering |
| lesser whitethroat | Breeding |
| lesser whitethroat | Roosting |
| pochard | Breeding |
| pochard | Roosting |
| pochard | Wintering |
| shoveler | Breeding |
| shoveler | Roosting |
| shoveler | Wintering |
| tufted duck | Breeding |
| tufted duck | Roosting |
| tufted duck | Wintering |
| whitethroat | Breeding |
| whitethroat | Roosting |
Description
Area, 51.3 ha. 126.8 ac. Description Combe Pool lies in the grounds of Combe Abbey to the east of Coventry. The pool is fed by the Smite Brook and was created as part of an extensive landscape scheme designed by Capability Brown in the eighteenth century. The site includes the pool of 36 hectares, reed beds and woodland. Combe Pool is one of the most important ornithological sites in Warwickshire for its heron Ardea cinerea and other breeding birds and for its wintering wildfowl. Combe Pool holds the largest heronry (heron) in the county and about twenty pairs breed regularly on a small island. great crested grebes Podiceps cristatus breed in the reed beds with a few pairs of tufted duck Aythya fuligula and shoveler Spatula clypeata, the last being rare in Warwickshire. Kingfisher Alcedo atthis, water rail Rallus aquaticus and grey wagtail Motacilla cinerea also breed regularly. The woodland supports a diverse breeding bird community with tits, corvids, three species of woodpecker and a range of warblers including lesser whitethroat Sylvia curruca. In winter the pool holds good numbers of tufted duck, pochard Aythya ferina, gulls Laridae and nationally significant numbers of shoveler. The woodland is also an important winter roost particularly for blackbirds Turdus merula, but also for redwing T. iliacus, fieldfare T. pilaris and greenfinch Chloris chloris.
Species mentioned
Show the 14 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status| English name search for this in other sites |
Latin name search with Google |
IUCN / Red List | Type | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| pochard | Aythya ferina | EN (NonBreeding), EN (Breeding) | bird-duck | anatidae |
| tufted duck | Aythya fuligula | LC (NonBreeding), LC (Breeding) | bird-duck | anatidae |
| shoveler | Spatula clypeata | LC (NonBreeding), LC (Breeding) | bird-duck | anatidae |
| greenfinch | Chloris chloris | EN (Breeding) | bird-finch | fringillidae |
| great crested grebe | Podiceps cristatus | LC (NonBreeding), VU (Breeding) | bird-grebe | podicipedidae |
| grey heron | Ardea cinerea | LC (NonBreeding), NT (Breeding) | bird-heron | ardeidae |
| kingfisher | Alcedo atthis | LC (Breeding) | bird-kingfisher | alcedinidae |
| water rail | Rallus aquaticus | LC (Breeding) | bird-rail | threskiornithidae |
| redwing | Turdus iliacus | LC (NonBreeding), CR (Breeding) | bird-thrush | turdidae |
| blackbird | Turdus merula | LC (Breeding) | bird-thrush | turdidae |
| fieldfare | Turdus pilaris | LC (NonBreeding), CR(PE) (Breeding) | bird-thrush | turdidae |
| grey wagtail | Motacilla cinerea | NT (Breeding) | bird-wagtail | motacillidae |
| whitethroat | Sylvia communis | Not listed in GB list | bird-warbler | sylviidae |
| lesser whitethroat | Sylvia curruca | Not listed in GB list | bird-warbler | sylviidae |