The Rocky Shoreline (1 on map)

The large beach car-park is reached through a railway arch off the village green near the war memorial. Of interest here are the flocks of gulls, particularly on a falling tide. The rock and pebble beach below the car-park is attractive to waders and as the tide rises small, mobile groups of Redshank, Ringed Plover and Turnstone jockey for shelter amongst the stones. Between October and April Purple Sandpipers frequent the beach and on high tides are pushed right up to the blocks at the edge of the car-park allowing extremely close views and excellent photographic opportunities. A high tide coupled with an onshore wind produces a rough surf zone which churns up food for Black-headed Gulls and the occasional Little Gull. Rock Pipits can often be found on the blocks that protect the car park from the waves.

 The Beach (2)  

The sandy beach, sheltered between two rocky areas, is a loafing site for both large and small gulls and, though rather distant, can be ’scoped for more interesting visitors. Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Bar-tailed Godwit and Sanderling also use the beach and although not regular, Knot and Curlew Sandpiper have been recorded. In autumn Sandwich Terns often rest on the beach amongst the Black-headed Gulls; again, rather distant but worth checking through.

 Lowca Beck (3) 

This, along with the north foreshore, is probably the most interesting area around the village and it certainly has the most potential for migrants. Access is just off the Parton to Lowca road. The stream has breeding Dipper and Grey Wagtail and on passage, Common Sandpiper. The steep roadside bank beneath the church and the streamside vegetation provide cover for common migrants such as Spotted Flycatcher, Redstart and Whitethroat. Scarcer migrants have included Lesser Whitethroat and, in October 1999, a Firecrest. Stonechat and Linnet frequent the fences and vegetation around the railway embankment and landscaped slag banks.

These slag banks are patrolled by Raven, Kestrel and, less commonly, Barn Owl. Across the stream is a disused water treatment plant whose overgrown buildings and machinery provide cover for migrants and breeding birds alike. At the time of writing the water treatment plant is being renovated and it is not known what effect this will have on the habitat nor on the access to the north foreshore.

The North Foreshore (4)

Access to the north foreshore is along a wide, rough track and under a railway arch north of Lowca Beck and the water treatment plant. This leads to a slightly raised grass and scrub parking area above the beach. Lowca Beck runs down the stony beach to the sea and this fresh water attracts large congregations of gulls. These are a little closer than the gulls that gather on the sandy beach and have hosted both Iceland and Glaucous Gulls in the last decade (though, as with the rest of the county, these have been very scarce recently). It is possible that white-winged gulls seen at the Distington landfill site, about 4km to the northeast, commute to Parton to bathe in the fresh water and loaf with the other gulls.

Some scarcer passage waders have dropped in here, including Whimbrel, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit and on one occasion a Wood Sandpiper which was found in a pool in the stream on the seaward side of the railway arch.

The parking area and railway embankment have some scrub cover for migrants but it is a little exposed on the seaward side and birds don’t linger long before moving over the railway to the more sheltered area around Lowca Beck.

The foreshore provides enough height for seawatching out over the wonderfully named Providence Bay. Divers, terns, auks, shearwaters and skuas can all be seen in the appropriate season and weather conditions.

 The Wagon Road (5)

To the south of Parton village, beneath the low cliffs, lies a bridleway to Whitehaven known as the Wagon Road. This path makes a pleasant, if occasionally busy, walk on a summer evening. The cliff-foot along the path consists of overgrown boulder scree. It is home to Stonechat, Wheatear, Whitethroat and Little Owl. Along the kilometre or so of low cliff between Parton and Whitehaven nest Raven, Kestrel and Peregrine along with a small but growing colony of Fulmar.

Across the railway lies Tanyard Bay and at low tide the rocky shore is frequented by Oystercatcher, Curlew, Turnstone and Redshank. Auks and divers can be seen in the sea here and although the cliffs are not suitable for Guillemot or Razorbill, there have been intriguing spring records of Black Guillemot offshore, a species which could conceivably find a home in the concrete and sandstone blocks that carry and protect the railway.

Finally, there is a parking place at the Parton end of the Wagon Road which is at an ideal height for a spell of seawatching after a walk along the bridleway.    

 Derek McAlone