North Yorkshire (1 Viewer)

[lisagoose]

Hello everyone :hi:

Im new to BF.

Im in Whitby this weekend and plan to take the Sunday birdwatching around the area, can anybody recommended anywhere please?

Muchly appreciated

Lisa

 

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

Whitby itself can be quite interesting around the harbour and sea wall. A trip south east towards Horcum should give you Red Grouse and on the edge of Dalby forest Crossbill or maybe even Great Grey Shrike.

 

[IanF]

A little to the north is South Gare Pier at Redcar which is a good location to see a variety of waders on the beach and arriving migrants.

Saltburn Woods halfway between Redcar and Whitby can be a pleasant walk to see woodland birds and the chance of Dipper. Plus there's a nice pier there as well.

To the west along the A171 is Scaling Dam Reservoir which has a bird hide overlooking the nature reserve at the west end. Access is from the large car park by the yacht club buildings. I believe a Red-breasted Goose is still there. Also lots of ducks and geese.

A little further west from there along the main road is Lockwood Beck Reservoir. Really a trout fishery but the car park area is often good for birds with Grey Wagtail on the slip way. Crossbills and Siskin come into the trees by the car park but can be hit and miss. The road behind the reservoir between Commondale and Kildale at Sleddale has a couple of Rough-legged Buzzard at present with regular sightings of Common Buzzard and Hen Harrier. Lots of Red Grouse and a few Red-legged Partridge on the moors there as well. Plus the chance of Goshawk and Green Woodpecker by the cattle grid over the road at Sleddale.

 

[Ingsbirder]

Hello everyone :hi:

Im new to BF.

Im in Whitby this weekend and plan to take the Sunday birdwatching around the area, can anybody recommended anywhere please?

Muchly appreciated

Lisa

Hi Lisa

If you're looking for migrants then head to Ness Point. This is the land mass to the north of Robin Hood's Bay - walk north along the disused railway track checking the bushes alongside the path and then check out Raindale:

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=495252&Y=506990&A=Y&Z=120

If you have time continue on to Hawsker Bottoms but the ravines there are big, extensive and hard to work so better to concentrate on the less vegetated areas. If you're into seawatching Ness Point is also good for seawatching and divers can often be seen offshore.

Other places closer to Whitby for migrants include the ravine by the golf course:

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=488089&Y=511685&A=Y&Z=120

or Sandsend Quarries (park in the car park and walk north along footpath):

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=485996&Y=512985&A=Y&Z=120

You can check for seaduck off the sewage outfall, but it's not as good nowadays, though if scoter are present then there's a good chance of Velvet, plus Eider can be seen. View from the footpath by Whitby Abbey:

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=490483&Y=511570&A=Y&Z=120

Sandsend Bay also attracts divers and duck on occasion, but is quite disturbed nowdays.

Small numbers of Purple Sandpipers can sometimes be seen roosting at high tide on the piers.

Have fun, hope that helps.

 

[lisagoose]

Oh fabulous! Thankyou so much! Marcus, fancy meeting you here! I will get back to you re Scotland after we kept missing each other, just trying to get some dates together for my hols next year

Thanks for the info Ingsbirder and Ian F! If any one has anything more please just let me know, very much appreciated

Lisa