Sherwood Forest and the Humber (Day Trip)

Summer

The day will have a flexible itinerary, depending on the weather. We will start at Blacktoft Sands RSPB Nature Reserve on the banks of the River Ouse. Here, we will spend the morning exploring the extensive reedbeds and pools of this excellent reserve. We will look for Marsh Harrier and Bearded Tit and there should also be a nice selection of waders on show including Avocet and Black-tailed Godwit. There is also a chance of seeing some returning waders such as Green, Wood and Curlew Sandpipers as they drop in on their way south. While at Blacktoft, we will monitor weather conditions throughout the morning in order to decide the plan for the afternoon! We can eat our lunch in the car park where Tree Sparrows may well keep us entertained as they come and go to and from their nestboxes in the surrounding trees.

If the weather is fine, we will drive south (for about an hour or so) to north Nottinghamshire where there is a rather grandly-named raptor watchpoint (it is actually a grass verge on the side of a road!). In good weather, Honey Buzzard and Goshawk can be seen over the Welbeck Estate woods, with a chance of Hobby and Red Kite.

The raptors only show in fine conditions, so if we experience rain at Blacktoft, we will drive round the River Ouse to a lovely reserve on the north side of the river: North Cave Wetlands. Here we will expect to find many common species of birds including waders, wildfowl, warblers and hirundines. This ‘hidden gem’ of a reserve is usually alive with birds!

Winter

We plan to start our day with a search for the elusive Hawfinch, before moving on to Sherwood and the Major Oak – thought to be up to 1,000 years old and one of the most famous trees in the whole of the UK. Here we will look for the evasive Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and other woodland birds before walking out on to the nearby heathland for Woodlark and maybe a Stonechat or Crossbill. If the weather is suitable we will look for raptors such as Red Kite, Buzzard and even Goshawk.

We will end the day on the Humber at the Blacktoft Sands RSPB Nature Reserve. Here there should be a range of wetland birds alongside other possibilities such as Water Rail or Bearded Tit. However, the finale to the day will be the raptor roost where up to 40 Marsh Harriers regularly come into the reedbed and, with luck, we may be treated to a flypast from a Barn Owl, Merlin or even a ghostly Hen Harrier.