Radford Meadows is a

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

of the

Staffordshire Wildlife Trust The Staffordshire Wildlife Trust is a wildlife trust covering the county of Staffordshire, England. Organisation and activities It is one of 46 Wildlife Trusts; each is a registered charity and is a member of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts. ...

, on the southern edge of Stafford, in Staffordshire, England. The reserve is a

floodplain A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river which stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls, and which experiences flooding during periods of high discharge.Goudi ...

situated between the

River Penk The River Penk is a small river flowing through Staffordshire, England. Its course is mainly within South Staffordshire, and it drains most of the northern part of that district, together with some adjoining areas of Cannock Chase, Stafford, Wo ...

to the west, and the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal.

Description

Access is only along the towpath of the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal; the towpath is elevated, and provides views of the entire site."Radford Meadows"
''Staffordshire Wildlife Trust''. Retrieved 20 March 2021. The area of the reserve is . It is part of the

of the River Penk; it is important in absorbing excess water when there is high rainfall. There are black poplars at the southern end of the reserve. The species is now rare in England, since there is less floodplain woodland. For several centuries, floodplains have been drained to provide more agricultural land. To retain floodwater at Radford Meadows, dams have been installed. Shallow pools have been created to create conditions suitable for

wader 245px, A flock of Dunlins and Red knots">Red_knot.html" ;"title="Dunlins and Red knot">Dunlins and Red knots Waders or shorebirds are birds of the order Charadriiformes commonly found wikt:wade#Etymology 1, wading along shorelines and mudflat ...

s and

wildfowl The Anatidae are the biological family of water birds that includes ducks, geese, and swans. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on all the world's continents except Antarctica. These birds are adapted for swimming, floating on ...

. If the right habitat is maintained, birds such as

lapwing Lapwings (subfamily Vanellinae) are any of various ground-nesting birds (family Charadriidae) akin to plovers and dotterels. They range from in length, and are noted for their slow, irregular wingbeats in flight and a shrill, wailing cry. A gro ...

and

snipe A snipe is any of about 26 wading bird species in three genera in the family Scolopacidae. They are characterized by a very long, slender bill, eyes placed high on the head, and cryptic/ camouflaging plumage. The ''Gallinago'' snipes have a ...

may be encouraged to breed on the reserve, as they did up to the 1990s.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Radford Meadows
at ''

Birdguides ''Birdwatch'' (ISSN 0967-1870) is a British monthly magazine for birdwatchers, established in 1992 by Solo Publishing. Distributed by subscription and also through newsagents, it has a cover price of £4.10. Each edition is also available on ...

'' Nature reserves in Staffordshire Birdwatching sites in England Wetlands of England

Description

See also

References

External links