Harrogate trip (1 Viewer)

[grumps]

Hi all,

Am in Harrogate for a couple of nights at the end of March. Wife will obviously be engaged in 'retail therapy'.

I hope to get enough brownie points for a few hours birding in the locality.

Any suggestions would be most welcome together with any wildlife bookshops.

Many thanks,

Hugh

 

[naturenorth]

You would be quite close to Eccup Reservoir or Fairburn Ings RSPB. Harewood for Red Kites would be on your doorstep.

You could try Nosterfield near Bedale - 2 sites there (nature reserve and quarry). Staveley YWT reserve near Boroughbridge or Nicholson's Lagoons near Ripon Racecourse. Both Nosterfield and Nicholson's are run by LUCT.

 

[HydeParkDave]

Harrogate is also close to Gouthwaite reservoir, north of Pately Bridge. I don't think there are any hides, but there are viewing points along the B-road that skirts the western bank of the reservoir. Brief description here. General information centred on York (not too far away) here.

 

[Keith Dickinson]

Eccup - waste of time. The area is too big and you can't access the entire reservoir bank so most of the birds congregate down the end you can't reach.

Nosterfield is worth a visit, they've got the crane still around there this weekend and an Iceland gull was found there the other day.

 

[grumps]

Thanks for replies - much appreciated.
I usually call at Fairburn on my travels up the A1.
Know Harewood well too. Am interested in the other places you have all mentioned. Time will be limited (with a non birding wife) so looking forward to trying some of the sites suggested.
Any good bookshops for wildlife in the area?

Thanks

Hugh

 

[eagle golden]

Hi I live in Harrogate, walking on our stray can be rewarding.but went to nosterfield today that was good loads of birders, had good numbers of geese shelduck, perigrine. and a sparrowhawk sat on a fench post. there is a great book shop on James Street, the second hand book shops are on the outskirts, Montpelier parde has a few, Stavely lakes and Hay-O-park can be good. mac

 

[grumps]

Thanks Mac
Our hotel is near the Strays so that is ideal for a walk round.

Thanks again all

Hugh

 

[pete seaman]

To the West of Harogate is an area of moorland and reservoirs called Haverah Park just outside the village of Beckwithshaw and over the road fom there is the forest area of Stainburn both well worth a look.

 

[JonnyF]

Stainburn forest is good, lots of crossbills, Green Woodpecker, Sparrowhawk and often red kites. I had 3 woodcock flush out under me last time I was there.
A walk in Harrogate which sometimes has lots of birds is around the Harlow Carr pinewoods and Birk Crag. I frequently see Marsh Tits, GS woodpecker, Sparrowhawk as well as all the commoner stuff like Goldcrest, Nuthatch... Check the fields near Birk Crag if you go, as an aberrant light grey jackdaw is amongst the others.

 

[Time and Ptarmigan]

There are plenty of easier to find places that are good birding sites for a couple of hours and not far away from the centre of town like Hookstone Wood, Nidd Gorge, The Stray, Valley Gardens and Pine Woods, the old railway lines and petrol dump west out of Starbeck, The various golf courses, Bilton triangle, by the river at Knaresborough,Oak Beck and Crimple valleys, Plompton Rocks. the Kirby Overblow to Harewood area seems to be the most reliable place in the world for Red Kites. Need any more????

 

[grumps]

There are plenty of easier to find places that are good birding sites for a couple of hours and not far away from the centre of town like Hookstone Wood, Nidd Gorge, The Stray, Valley Gardens and Pine Woods, the old railway lines and petrol dump west out of Starbeck, The various golf courses, Bilton triangle, by the river at Knaresborough,Oak Beck and Crimple valleys, Plompton Rocks. the Kirby Overblow to Harewood area seems to be the most reliable place in the world for Red Kites. Need any more????

Thats great thanks all.
Am staying at Cedar Park Best Western off Knaresborough Road. From the map think this is near the Stray - is this right?

We are usually in Norfolk at this time off year but this time my wife won! I like to get up early and have a potter so hope the Stray is near enough.

The other sites have opportunities for a visit as we travel around.

Thanks again - much appreciated

Hugh

 

[schiffornis]

Personally I'd go for some easy birding at the locations suggested by Time and Ptarmigan (i used to live in the area). The river at Knaresborough and the Nidd Gorge are great at this time of the year with Lesser Pecker a good chance, as well as a range of river/woodland species.

 

[Time and Ptarmigan]

Thats great thanks all.
Am staying at Cedar Park Best Western off Knaresborough Road. From the map think this is near the Stray - is this right?

We are usually in Norfolk at this time off year but this time my wife won! I like to get up early and have a potter so hope the Stray is near enough.

The other sites have opportunities for a visit as we travel around.

Thanks again - much appreciated

Hugh

I actually live in High Harrogate, about 100 yards from the Cedar Hotel (not bad for a kid from a Starbeck council estate) which is right on The Stray. Most of the sites are easily walkable from your hotel while Knaresborough is ten minutes away. let me know if you need any help.

 

[grumps]

Just back from two glorious nights in the fair county. As expected nothing spectacular bird wise though we must have visited most of the shops in all the surrounding towns.
Was nice to revisited old haunts like Grassington. Ilkley Moor produced a few birds as did the Wharfe at Bolton Abbey and Fairburn Ings on the way home.
We will return - so thanks all for your replies - very much appreciated,

Hugh