Wife and Toddler Friendly birding nr Settle (1 Viewer)

ChrisLuv

Improving Birder

• Mar 16, 2010

• #1

Hi,

Staying at Rathmell near Settle next week, will have the wife and my 18 month year old son. Any nice areas where we can all visit, with friendly paths and a decent chance of a bird or two?

Bolton Abbey Woods sounds a good bet.
Also Stocks Reservoir/Gisburn Forest isn't too far away (is that in Lancashire?).

Any other ideas?

Any help appreciated. Can't wait B

Chris

 

Stephen Dunstan

Registered User

• Mar 16, 2010

• #2

Stocks is in Lancashire, but used to be in Yorkshire.

There is a hide there which is only a fairly short walk from a car park. There should be some good stuff there over the spring including several Ospreys, though next week is clearly on the early side for spring migrants.

Stephen.

 

ChrisLuv

Improving Birder

• Mar 17, 2010

• #3

Thanks Stephen, yes timing not brilliant but I do have a weekend in April down in Norfolk as compensation to look forward to. That should be better timing-wise for Spring migrants.

Thanks for the info on the hide, I'll almost certainly be heading that way as it looks like they do bike hire round Gisburn Forest, so will be a good place to stop and rest.

 

Keith Dickinson

Well-known member

Opus Editor

• Mar 17, 2010

• #4

Bolton Abbey has got the paths, nearly all are pram friendly but as with Stocks it's going to be a little early for the migrants. River and woods should hold dipper, grey wagtail, goosander, treecreeper, nuthatch, all the usual tits, great spotted and green woodpeckers. If you are lucky there's chance of roosting tawny owls in the wood and mandarin duck on the river.

 

ChrisLuv

Improving Birder

• Mar 17, 2010

• #5

Thanks Keith, sounds like Bolton Abbey might keep everyone happy then too; nice walk, birds what could be better...a real ale pub nearby maybe.

I'll do some of my own research into that one.

Cheers for the reply.

 

Geoff Pain

Rural Member

• Mar 17, 2010

• #6

Leighton Moss isn't too far away.

 

Keith Dickinson

Well-known member

Opus Editor

• Mar 17, 2010

• #7

If you do get to Bolton Abbey I recommend the beer battered fish and chips in the Cavendish Pavilion, well worth it.

 

ChrisLuv

Improving Birder

• Mar 17, 2010

• #8

Geoff Pain said:

Leighton Moss isn't too far away.

Click to expand...

My worry with Leighton Moss is that there may well be some "serious" birders (for "serious" read grumpy) in the hides, etc. They might not appreciate a toddler casting his opinions on the birds.

I've never been so I'd love to visit but perhaps when he's a bit older.

Chris

 

Keith Dickinson

Well-known member

Opus Editor

• Mar 17, 2010

• #9

Leighton Moss is good for the kids as far as Lilian Hide, roughly 50 yards from the car park. Lilian has a great big picture window looking across the water so all the birds are relatively easy to see, kids love that. The other hides are a decent walk away so less toddler friendly, although most of the paths are decent hard-core.
As to grumpy birders, I don't think at Leighton you need to worry about those as the reserve gets visited on a regular basis by school groups, most locals know this and are no longer bothered by youngsters.

 

ChrisLuv

Improving Birder

• Mar 18, 2010

• #10

Hi Keith,

Like the sound of that picture window - might give it a go and see what its like.

Cheers for the advice
Chris

 

peter hill

Well-known member

• Mar 23, 2010

• #11

Another vote for leighton ,have stayed at settle in the past theres an A road that takes you within a few miles of the site A65 . :t:

 

ChrisLuv

Improving Birder

• Mar 27, 2010

• #12

Thanks to all the replies. We had a great week. Count of 72 birds for the week - not bad for a non-birding holiday with little lad in tow all week.

Full details and a few photos at this address but here's a quick review:

Bolton Abbey - highly recommended, lovely walk (we went from bottom to top and back - which was an all day walk). Great for kids too. No Tawny Owl sadly, but we did get several Goosander, Kingfisher, (3) Dipper, Treecreepers and Nuthatch (several) - to name a few.

Gisburn Forest/Stocks Reservoir - Red-Breasted Merganser, Coal Tit, Marsh Tit, Goldeneye, Oystercatcher, Nuthatch

Malham Cove - My first record of Wheatear this year.

Tossside to Rathmell Road - Male Merlin

Leighton Moss\Morcambe Bay - Thanks to the understanding people who put up with the shouts of "hurray" from my lad, and the load shouts of "bird" whenever we saw anything. He really enjoyed it - as did we. We saw Marsh Harrier (blob in distance), Snow Geese (x3), Spotted Redshank, Avocet, Chiffchaff and Pintail.

Old Moor (on way home) - My first record of Sand Martin this year and a Water Rail briefly from the reedbed screen.

Cheers,
Chris