Bentley Priory

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Location: North West London London Borough of Harrow Map Ref TQ156927

Bentley Priory is located in Stanmore, north of the Uxbridge Road and provides 66 hectares of countryside open space. The site is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in particular for its meadow areas. As well as the meadows the site includes extensive woodlands and 2 ponds. In the summer cattle graze the meadows. The site is a haven for bird life and a wide range of plant life. There is no designated car parking but a car park in Warren Lane at Stanmore Common is within five minutes walk.

Adjoining the open space is a private Deer Park with a herd of approximately 24 Fallow Deer and the north is Bentley Priory RAF base from which the Battle of Britain was commanded during World War II.

London Bird report has an article from LBR no.48 (1983 pp93-105) called Birds of Bentley Priory, Stanmore, Middlesex by C. R. Kightley and P. A. Whittington. From this report I have complied potential birds list as below: Little Grebe; Great Crested Grebe; Cormorant; Grey Heron; Mute Swan; Grey Goose (pos Greylag Goose); Canada Goose; Teal; Mallard; Pintail; Pochard; Tufted Duck; Sparrowhawk; Buzzard; Osprey; Kestrel; Hobby; Grey Partridge; Pheasant; Water Rail; Moorhen; Coot; Lapwing; Snipe; Woodcock; Curlew; Redshank; Common Sandpiper; Black-headed Gull; Common Gull; Lesser Black-backed Gull; Herring Gull; Great Black-backed Gull; Common Tern; Feral Pigeon; Stock Dove; Wood Pigeon; Collared Dove; Turtle Dove; Cuckoo; Tawny Owl; Swift; Kingfisher; Wryneck; Green Woodpecker; Great Spotted Woodpecker; Lesser Spotted Woodpecker; Syklark; Sand Martin; Swallow; House Martin; Tree Pipet; Meadow Pipet; Yellow Wagtail; Grey Wagtail; Pied Wagtail; Wren; Dunnock; Robin; Black redstart; Redstart; Whinchat; Wheatear; Ring Ouzel; Blackbird; Fieldfare; Song Thrush; Redwing; Mistle Thrush; Grasshopper Warbler; Sedge Warbler; Reed Warbler; Lesser Whitethroat; Whitethroat; Garden Warbler; Blackcap; Chiffchaff; Willow Warbler; Goldcrest; Firecrest; Spotted Flycatcher; Pied Flycatcher; Long-tailed Tit; Marsh Tit; Willow Tit; Coal Tit; Blue Tit; Great Tit; Nuthatch; Treecreeper; Jay; Magpie; Jackdaw; Rook; Carrion Crow; Starling; House Sparrow; Tree Sparrow; Chaffinch; Brambling; Greenfinch; Goldfinch; Siskin; Linnet; Redpoll; Bullfinch; Hawfinch; Yellowhammer; Reed Bunting.

This is a total of 109 species

Bird List 2009 Goldfinch, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Mallard, Greenfinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Siskin, Blackbird, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Fieldfare, Long tailed tit, Chaffinch, Cormorant, Nuthatch, Wren, Jay, Robin, Dunnock, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Coal Tit, Jackdaw, Treecreeper, Redwing, Mandarin Duck, Black Headed Gull, Mute Swan, Coot, Tufted Duck, Moorhen, Ring necked parakeet, Song thrush, Feral Pigeon, Green Woodpecker, Goldcrest, Bullfinch, Stock Dove, Gadwell, Little Grebe, Canada Goose, Grey Heron, Merganser, Starling, Mistle Thrush, Grey Wagtail, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Greater Black backed Gull, House Sparrow, Chiffchaff, Common Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, House Martin, Swallow, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Garden Warbler, Swift, Whitethroat

Visits for 2009: 11

Bird List 2007 Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Magpie, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Jay, Carrion Crow, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Blackbird, Robin, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Jackdaw, Goldcrest, Black Headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Grey Heron, Shoveller, Redwing, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Mandarin, Pochard, Coot, Canada Goose, Great Crested Grebe, Moorhen, Starling, Dunnock, Goldfinch, House Sparrow, Cormorant, Bullfinch, Siskin, Teeecreeper, Nuthatch, Wren, Swallow, Ring-necked parakeet, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Sparrowhawk, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Chiffchaff, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Swift

Visits for 2007: 10

70 Species as of 28 December 2006 (percentage of above list is 64.2%)