Fairburn Ings RSPB (1 Viewer)

[andythomas]

I visited this reserve for the first time on 21st September. Unfortunately we only had two hours there which was not enough time to cover the whole reserve.

Fairburn Ings lies next to the River Aire, near Castleford. The pools on the reserve were caused by mining subsidence, and a third of the reserve is made up of landscaped colliery spoil, which is now returning to nature.

There is a small visitor centre, and a feeding station behind it, on which we saw Tree Sparrows. From the visitor centre a boardwalk leads to a hide overlooking a small pool, with another feeding station further on. Here we saw a Willow Tit. The Riverbank trail then leads to hide overlooking the main pool. A good selection of waterfowl was seen from here, including Cormorant, Wigeon, Shoveler and Little Grebe. A Jay flew across in front of us. Altogether I saw 41 species in the time we were on the reserve.

There is an area of shallower pools to the west of the visitor centre which are apparently good for waders.

I’ll leave it to more local members to add further details if they wish.

--
Andy

 

[Doug]

We walked up over the spoil heaps (now grassed) to the furthest hide but saw very little - most of the 'action' was concentrated around the visitors centre, boadwalks and near hides.

We saw our first Long eared owl from the Boadwalk and a superb flock of Bullfinch in the hedges behind the visitor centre. Also saw our first Med Gull on the main lake.

Anyone driving up the M1 should stop for a break and do a quick bit of birding. But it is also ideal for a good half day of more gentle spotting.

 

[TimF]

Spent an excellent afternoon at Fairburn Ings yesterday.

Immediatley after a couple of heavy squally showers the sun came out and had a lovely walk in the woodland area where recorded Willow Tit - (the differences between Marsh Tit were pointed out to me!) and then an hour or so in the furthest hide (can't remember its name!)

By 4pm had recorded 39 species over the reserve including huge flocks of Fieldfares.

Then alighting close by was what I first thought was a group of 3 Meadow Pipits hanging about with a solitory Pied Wagtail. Turned out to be 3 Water Pipits and very close to the hide.

Gave great views and for the first time was able to see obvious differences to Rock Pipits (when confirmed by a fellow birder & from close range!)

So great end to a great afternoon - Fairburn Ings is definitley worth a visit If heading North or South (close to A1) and you can stock up on wild bird food for the winter at the visitor centre!


Cheers

 

[Gill Osborne]

Once booked up for a Northumberland Wildlife Trust trip to fairburn Ings. Was really looking forward to it but then in the week leading up to it we had a really cold snap(February 1985) and the day before it started to snow...and forgot to stop! Needless to say, the trip was cancelled. Not really sure why I've never got around to nipping down to it in the past few years??? It's not as if it's across the other side of the country from Northumberland, is it! Perhaps I should just find a hotel or B&B close by, book it up for a weekend and tell my OH that i'm wisking(whisking?) him off for a romantic weekend!!! I'm sure there'll be loads of Moorhens to keep him occupied!!!
Shame you,Andy, could only be there for just a couple of hours...what happened? Did you have non-birders with you??? When I occasionally get the chance to visit a new reserve I like to spend most of the day there.....certainly don't like taking my hubby with me as he's not as obsessed as me and is ready to leave after just a couple of hours...GGGRRR!!!!!!!

 

[Darrell Clegg]

Ah Fairburn. I cut my birding teeth there when I was a lad.

I used to cycle - or walk, at least every week, and daily during the school holidays in the mid - late 70's. I remember one particularly bad winter when the old mine workings collapsed and formed what are today known as the flashes.

I've had some fantastic birding experiences there over the years. The Little gull and Black Tern passage in May was always eagerly awaited. The Little Gull breeding attempt in 1978, which failed. The hirundine roost. The first really twitchable Alpine Swift in 1979. My very first Smew, a drake which sailed out of some overhanging tree branches on a particularly cold and foggy morning. My first Ring-necked Duck, Black-necked Grebe, and Glaucous Gull - on the same day! The excitement of finding my first Little Stint, Garganey, Wood Sandpiper and Pintail - all birds I had drooled over in my Observers book of Birds.

Then there were the birds I missed - Black Duck, American Wigeon, Lesser Kestrel, White-throated Needletail.

Mustn't forget the layby, where it seems the whole population of Castleford go to get rid of their stale bread, and where the fattest most unhealthy wildfowl in the world live. There were two Egyptian Geese who lived there for years. One was run over by a car, and it ended up being cooked by the warden, - I don't think it made very pleasant eating!

There were also some great characters back then. Bob Dickens, who would let the tyres down on anyones bike if he thought they were egg collecting. Tom Goodwin who used to sell the annual reports , and who was in the hide when the warden (Steve Madge in those days) found a Collared Pratincole. The only trouble was he didn't know what Collared Pratincole looked like and so enthused about how Red the neck was. Confused, Steve asked him what he meant, whereupon Tom pointed to the bird he thought was the Pratincole, and there right in front of the hide was a spanking Red-necked Phalarope. Charlie Winn (who's still there) always in the same place on the bridge at the Cut, and who never missed a bird. Dr Pickup, who whipped out my tonsils when I was nine and then came to visit me in the hospital ward to talk about birds. The policeman from Selby who came to interview me when I had my bike stolen by some big tough boys from Airedale. He ended up coming back on a couple of occassions with a rifle to see if he could shoot "George" the Great Black-backed Gull that had been taking all the young Pochard - he failed, and George lived to a ripe old age.

I still go back there whenever I can, and though it has changed enormously in the past 30 years, it is still one of my favourite places to spend a day.

Darrell

 

[Bluetail]

Thanks for that, Darrell. Very evocative.

Jason

 

[boyinthebush]

Having only just returned to birding AND Yorkshire after far too long an absence, Fairburn is currently at the top of my list of places to explore and spend a nice long Sunday soon, so it's very encouraging to hear all about it.

 

[Ridge Walker]

Ah Fairburn. I cut my birding teeth there when I was a lad.

Mustn't forget the layby, where it seems the whole population of Castleford go to get rid of their stale bread, and where the fattest most unhealthy wildfowl in the world live. There were two Egyptian Geese who lived there for years. One was run over by a car, and it ended up being cooked by the warden, - I don't think it made very pleasant eating!

The layby you mentioned has now been fenced off and landscaped. I don't know why? I will have to pop in at the visitor cente to find out why.

 

[Keith Dickinson]

As I heard it the lay-by was closed off by North Yorks County Council in response to complaints from the chap who has the farm opposite. Due to inconsiderate parking by the duck feeders, he was having increasing difficulty with access to his property. I believe there was also a problem at night from 'courting couples' in their cars.

Ah Fairburn. I cut my birding teeth there when I was a lad.

Mustn't forget the layby, where it seems the whole population of Castleford go to get rid of their stale bread, and where the fattest most unhealthy wildfowl in the world live. There were two Egyptian Geese who lived there for years. One was run over by a car, and it ended up being cooked by the warden, - I don't think it made very pleasant eating!

The layby you mentioned has now been fenced off and landscaped. I don't know why? I will have to pop in at the visitor cente to find out why.

 

[birdbrainer]

sightings at Fairburn in March

Thought people might be interested to see what has been sighted at the reserve in March. I work in the visitor centre on Monday.


Female merlin pick up hide
Red kite main bay
Pintail 2 main bay
Siskins on feeders
Redshank 5 lin dike
Willow tit feeders
Tree sparrow feeders
Oystercatcher lin dike
Water rail feeders
Grey partridge flashes
Green woodpecker riverbank trail
Buzzards 6 newfield
Kingfisher screen and cut
Little egret 2 cut and lin dike
Bullfinch feeders
Chiffchaff kingfisher screen and lin dike
Goldeneye main bay
Snipe 6 cut
Blacktailed godwit 2 lindike and new flash
Egret
Pink foot geese
4 goldcrests
200 golden plover flew west
6 sandmartins village bay
Yellowhammers in hedge by road

 

[malskelton]

I called into Fairburn Ings on Thursday 19th March, trying to show my dad LEO and partly to escape a trip to Glasshoughton !!

No sign of LEO but did see a Kingfisher on the walk to the area where the owls used to be - also the Water Rail that was seen pretty much all day every day underneath the feeder, decided that my hour long visit would be the time it didn't show.

Nice to see Tree Sparrows, likewise 5 Tit species ( Coal, Blue, Great, Long Tailed, Willow ) and four Finch species ( Bullfinch, Goldfinch, Chaffinch and Greenfinch ) was pleasant viewing.

I do like Fairburn and will be visiting again through the year - as has been said previously, takes a while to get around fully

Mal Skelton

 

[birdbrainer]

here today gone tomorrow

Hi Mal,
Yeah, the water rail seems to have taken off. Maybe the pheasants have scared em off. It was a bit of a suprise visitor.

The LEO's are still around but seem to be moving about a bit at the moment.

I love working at Fairburn - everyone very friendly and I find it quite relaxing doing something different from my "day" job! :t:

The exciting and frustrating thing is that you never know what you might see when and where.

 

[Pete Mella]

Yeah I like Fairburn, it always feels a bit more of a "walk" than other local reserves and there's always plenty to see. Great for kingfishers - don't think I've ever been and not seen at least one.

I'm just sorry I didn't get chance to visit while the smew was there this year - saw a stunning male there in Jan 08.

 

[birdbrainer]

Ive only managed to see a kingfisher there once. Everybody says its a regular . Think it sees me coming and for some reason hops it!
Finished at 1pm last week - someone came in and said they'd just seen it. So legged it around there.........................waited half an hour - nothing!:-C

 

[liverpool_bob]

Ive only managed to see a kingfisher there once. Everybody says its a regular . Think it sees me coming and for some reason hops it!

If it does see you coming you should hear it - they nearly always alarm call as they're whizzing away.

Used to go to Fairburn a fair bit when I was first starting out birding... it was probably the first place I went to that had hides.

 

[birdbrainer]

Today At Fairburn

Spoonbill at Lin Dyke this morning and a couple of Snipe.

 

[3Littlebirds]

A couple of hours there today gave most of the usual suspects including a Ruddy Duck - the first I have seen there in a long time, since they started culling them in the early / mid 90s.

Birdbrainer - try the flashes for the kingfisher especially the 2nd pond oposite the main pond (the pond overlooked by Lin Dyke) or the walk up to Lin Dyke itself. A quick eye and a bit of patience is required but in 3 visits in the last week I have not failed to see one in this area. The field and ponds has been home to two young Highland cattle this year - watching them wallow through the mud and lakes helps pass the time.

For anyone new to Fairburn I recommend these adhoc stops along the road between the flashes and the visitor centre (obviously also accessed by foot or cycle). If you get tucked behind a hedge or fence then some more unusual waterfowl, waders and smaller hedge dwellers can be found. Be careful if you park your car by the side of the road due to the deep potholes and threat of other vehicles going past - some very quickly indeed. Also please stick to the road side and don't venture into the SSSI areas that are behind the gates. I also like the 'new' area located beyond the boardwalk on the path up to the Bob Dickens hide.

 

[RetroDude]

Fairburn early '70s and request for info re Ferruginous Duck there?

I was taken to Fairburn from Sheffield a few times by my long-suffering parents as a young teenager, and a handful of my 'lifers' were first seen at Fairburn - LRP, Goosander, a cracking drake Smew (10 Jan 1971).

However one of my better visits is inexplicably undated in my old notes and I don't have access to any relevant bird reports - could someone possibly help me out?

At some later date I have written in 'Sep 1976' but no idea where I got that from or if it's true. The list includes a drake Ferruginous Duck (whether suspect or not I have no idea): Little Stint is the only other stand-out bird on the list. Any help would be very welcome!

many thanks
Jonathan Hutchins

 

[liverpool_bob]

I was taken to Fairburn from Sheffield a few times by my long-suffering parents as a young teenager, and a handful of my 'lifers' were first seen at Fairburn - LRP, Goosander, a cracking drake Smew (10 Jan 1971).

However one of my better visits is inexplicably undated in my old notes and I don't have access to any relevant bird reports - could someone possibly help me out?

At some later date I have written in 'Sep 1976' but no idea where I got that from or if it's true. The list includes a drake Ferruginous Duck (whether suspect or not I have no idea): Little Stint is the only other stand-out bird on the list. Any help would be very welcome!

many thanks
Jonathan Hutchins

According to Mather (in The Birds of Yorkshire) there was a drake at Fairburn from 27th July to 31st August and a duck from 16th November to 18th December 1976.

 

[RetroDude]

Bob - thanks SO much for that. The wonders of the internet!