Places to see birds

Earlswood Lakes & Clowes Wood

Earlswood Lakes which are canal feeder pools lie to the west of Solihull - just outside the Borough boundary and are a popular place to walk and birdwatch all year round. The 2 main pools-Engine and Windmill Pools have well maintained paths around them but the smaller, westernmost pool -Terry's Pool can be very muddy in winter. It is however well worth donning wellies to birdwatch here as this pool and its surrounds are a very reliable spot for siskin and redpoll in winter along with tits, treecreeper, nuthatch and great spotted woodpecker. Goosander have also been present here for the last two winters.The southern bank of windmill Pool is a good area for kingfisher and in autumn common sandpiper can sometimes be found. The pools seem to turn up the more uncommon terns such as arctic and black and a few years back large numbers of the latter were present for a short while in autumn. There are several carparks close to the pools and further west along Wood Lane is a small parking area giving access to Clowes Wood. This large wood which is split in two by a railway is a most pleasant place for walks all the year round and the section to the west of the railway is renown for its display of bluebells in the spring.