Linghurst Wood & Linghurst Pool

Linghurst Wood (Private) & Linghurst Pool (IVNR) – Linghurst Wood (part of the larger Parish Park) is private, but birdwatchers are invited to use this area for birdlife study with permission from the Parish Council. However, there are some public rights of way here including the reserve track which runs from Neatholme Lane around the eastern edge of the wood circling the western side of Linghurst Pool and then continues along the northern edge towards the rear of the Fen and Wildgoose Farm. Linghurst Wood is a mix of mature woodland and young plantation and holds good numbers of breeding birds including Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Treecreeper, Willow Tit (now rare) and both Blue and Great Tits in good numbers. Nightingale has bred here in recent years, but this small pocket population has since died out with no sightings in past few years. Winter can see good numbers of finches including Lesser Redpoll, Goldfinch and Siskin plus Redwing and other thrushes. The rather secluded Linghurst Pool holds good numbers of waterfowl including Red-crested Pochard, Gadwall, Wigeon, Teal and Shoveler and Little Egret also feed and roost here. The nearby Lound Sewage Works attracts Grey Wagtail throughout the year and wintering Chiffchaff and Water Rail.

Scarcities

Scarce species have included:

• Cetti’s Warbler (now established 2019-20)
• Nightingale (former breeder)
• Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
• Marsh Tit
• Common Redpoll and
• ‘Siberian’ Chiffchaff