Prestwick Carr | |
|---|---|
 Prestwick Carr SSSI plantation (afar) | |
  Prestwick Carr Location inTyne and Wear | |
| Coordinates:55°03′22″N1°41′46″W / 55.056°N 1.696°W /55.056; -1.696 | |
| Grid position | NZ195735 |
| Location | Tyne and Wear,England, UK |
Prestwick Carr is a large area of low-lying wetland on the northern boundary of the city ofNewcastle upon Tyne in northeastern England betweenDinnington andPonteland. It is known for attracting various birds of wetlands and open country and is anSite of Special Scientific Interest[1] and a nature reserve managed by theNorthumberland Wildlife Trust. A large part of the site is owned by theMinistry of Defence.[2]
Prestwick Carr sits within a low lying basin of peat to the north west of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Within the site there are a range of wetland habitats including tallfen withsoft rush andreed canary-grass,Common alder anddowny birch dominatedcarr and araised bog which is now surrounded by a coniferous forestry plantation. These wetlands were more extensive in the past but drainage has reduced their extent. The remaining open water supports a variety of aquatic species and the relict raised bog supports the rarebog rosemary.[1]
Prestwick Carr holds wildfowl and waders in the winter and has breedingWater rail,Eurasian skylark,willow tit andmeadow pipit in summer.Barn owls andshort-eared owls are also found there.[2][3] In 1853 a pair ofwood sandpiper were recorded as nesting at Prestwick Carr, an unusual record for England.[4] In 2019-20 anEastern yellow wagtail spent the winter at this site, part of an influx to Britain that winter.[5] Other unusual records have includedgreat grey shrike andlittle gull.[3]
Prestwick Carr also holds dragonflies and the first records in Northumberland offour-spotted chaser andcommon darter were made there by earlynaturalists.[6]
Prestwick Carr was anextra-parochial area, in 1891 it had a population of 0.[7]