Bentley Priory is located in Stanmore, Middlesex (North West London), within the London Borough of Harrow (Map; OS Map Reference TQ156927). It provides 66 hectares (163 acres) of countryside open space. The site is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), in particular for its meadow areas. There is no designated car parking but a car park in Warren Lane at Stanmore Common is within five minutes walk.

Habitat Edit

As well as meadowland, the site includes extensive woodlands and two ponds. In the summer cattle graze the meadows. The site is a haven for bird life and a wide range of plant life. 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.

Birds Edit

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 compiled 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. Total: 109 species

Bird List 2012

Magpie, Mute swan, Blue tit, Great tit, Carrion crow, Wood pigeon, Grey heron, Moorhen, Mallard, Blackbird, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Long tailed tit, Wren, Robin, Greenfinch, Blackcap (winter and summer), Ring necked parakeet, Black headed gull, Jackdaw, Nuthatch, Buzzard, Redwing, Fieldfare, Tufted duck, Goosander, Mistle thrush, Treecreeper, Coal tit, Jay, Mandarin Duck, Goldfinch, Mealy redpoll, Siskin, Cormorant, Gadwall, Chiffchaff, Coot, Stock Dove, Song thrush, Bullfinch, Pied wagtail, Grey wagtail Canada Goose, Whitethroat, Swift, Swallow, Sparrowhawk.

Bird List 2011

Ring-necked parakeet, Blue tit, Lesser black-backed gull, Wood pigeon, Robin, Carrion Crow, Great tit, Blackbird, Grey wagtail, Magpie, Long tailed tit, Goldcrest, Greater spotted woodpecker, Redwing, Green Woodpecker, Moorhen, Black headed gull, Starling, Greenfinch, Jackdaw, Mistle Thrush, Fieldfare, Nuthatch, Jay, Coot, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Siskin, Wren, Chaffinch, Canada Geese, Mallard, Common Buzzard, Goosander, Tufted duck, Stock Dove, Dunnock, Coal tit, Swallow, Blackcap, Song Thrush, Gadwall, Stock Dove, Chiffchaff. -- Visits 6

Bird List 2010

Ring-necked Parakeet, Blue Tit, Jackdaw, Blackbird, Goldfinch, Collared Dove, Carrion Crow, Great Tit, Woodpigeon, Chaffinch, Robin, Magpie, Jay, Bullfinch, Starling, Mistle Thrush, Nuthatch, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Long-tailed Tit, Coot, Moorhen, Mallard, Grey Wagtail, Greenfinch, Wren, Black-headed Gull, Siskin, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Stock Dove, Redwing, Goldcrest, House Sparrow, Grey Heron, Blackcap (overwintering), Treecreeper, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Common Gull, Cormorant, Dunnock, Goosander, Mute Swan, Green Woodpecker, Tufted Duck, Little Grebe, Pochard, Canada Goose, Buzzard, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Kestrel. Mandarin Duck, Swift, Swallow, Teal

— Visits for 2010: 10

Bird List 2009

Goldfinch, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Mallard, Greenfinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Siskin, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Fieldfare, Long-tailed Tit, Chaffinch, Cormorant, Nuthatch, Wren, Jay, Robin, Dunnock, Great 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, Gadwall, Little Grebe, Canada Goose, Grey Heron, Red-breasted Merganser, Starling, Mistle Thrush, Grey Wagtail, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great 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

Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Magpie, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Jay, Carrion Crow, Great 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, Treecreeper, 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

Bird List 2006

Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Redwing, Treecreeper, Grasshopper Warbler, Yellow and Green Parrot (escapee), Cormorant, Grey Heron, Common Tern, Swallow, Mistle Thrush, Jay, Wood Warbler, Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Stock Dove, House Martin, Goldcrest, Magpie, Whitethroat, Mallard, Shoveler, Feral Pigeon, Wren, Firecrest, Jackdaw, Lesser Whitethroat, Tufted Duck, Mandarin, Wood pigeon, Dunnock, Spotted Flycatcher, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Goosander, Sparrowhawk, Collared Dove, Robin, Long-tailed Tit, Starling, Greenfinch, Buzzard, Moorhen, Tawny Owl, Redstart, Coal Tit, House Sparrow, Goldfinch, Coot, Snipe, Swift, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Blackcap, Siskin, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Kingfisher, Fieldfare, Great Tit, Chiffchaff, Bullfinch, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Green Woodpecker, Song Thrush, Nuthatch, Willow Warbler, Ring-necked Parakeet. — Species as of 28 December 2006 (percentage of above list is 64.2%)