Discover Belvide Reservoir
A Historic Birding Haven Celebrated for its Diverse Bird Life and SSSI Status
Visiting
Access to Belvide Reserve is exclusively through club membership only. (Visits can be made to this reserve by bona fide groups.)
Unfortunately, individual day permits cannot be granted. Arrangements for group visits can be made using the Reserve Management Team.
To purchase your permit please contact the WMBC Permit Secretary.
Access
Access to the site is restricted to the entrance to the reserve car park via Shutt Green Lane - O/S Grid ref: SJ870098.
Please remember that the access code to the entrance gate is time-sensitive, running over the twelve months ending 28th February; please refer to your membership card for gate code details.
From the car park follow the woodland tracks via the feeding stations to reach the reservoir shoreline and from thereon the bird hides. At all times please respect footpath restrictions.
Those who have Premier membership are entitled to birdwatch at Gailey Reservoirs.
The reservoirs at Gailey are located immediately east of junction 12 on the M6 Motorway - O/S Grid ref SJ938106 with access via Gailey Lea Lane off the A5.
WMBC News
Here's your go-to spot for the very latest in bird sightings, photography, and noteworthy activities from the Belvide Nature Reserve. Stay tuned here for real-time insights and snapshots from our community.
A Brief History
Belvide, a 180 acre canal feeder reservoir, was constructed in 1834 to supply what is now the Shropshire Union Canal, but did not attract the attention of ornithologists until the 1920s, when A.W. Boyd (who referred to the reservoir as ‘Bellfields’, to disguise its identity) began visiting regularly and published many of his observations in the magazine British Birds. Boyd, and H.G. Alexander who was a regular visitor in the 1930s, were responsible for putting Belvide on the bird-watching map and the reservoir was soon established as one of the most important ornithological sites in the Midlands.
Owned by the Canal and River Trust (formerly British Waterways) It is leased to and managed by the West Midland Bird Club. It is now scheduled as a Site of Special Scientific Interest under the stewardship of Natural England.
Despite its proximity to Wolverhampton, the A5 and the motorway network the reserve is essentially rural in character being situated in gently undulating mixed farmland. Apart from the reservoir itself there are a variety of habitats, including woodland, reed-beds unimproved pasture and depending on water levels muddy margins within a relatively small area and as a result there is a rich diversity of bird life throughout the year.
West Midland Bird Club
Lackford Lakes
Belvide Management Team
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Email: xxxxxxxxxxx@wmbc.org.uk
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Email: xxxxxxxxxxx@wmbc.org.uk
Belvide Blog
Dive into our blog for a deeper look at Belvide’s birding world, where we explore conservation efforts, research, general news, special projects, detailed reports and access updates.
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Become a member
As a WMBC member, you get access to our reserves, invitations to indoor and outdoor birdwatching activities, our quarterly newsletter, and the annual bird report and much more. Enjoy bird photography, see rare species, and connect with fellow bird enthusiasts in our vibrant community.