North Yorkshire

Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta europaea ©Martin & Sue Timmins
Birding North Yorkshire

The county of North Yorkshire is the largest local authority, by area, in England. It is predominantly rural with much of the land utilised for agriculture. There are large expanses of upland habitats in the Pennines supporting important populations of breeding waders plus Red Grouse and Ring Ouzel. The North York Moors National Park has the most extensive expanse of heather moorland in the UK hosting breeding Merlin, whilst the forests of Dalby and Wykeham are home to important populations of Nightjars, and rare raptors such as Goshawk and Honey Buzzard.

The important seabird colonies at Bempton and Flamborough Head are just across the border in East Yorkshire, but the North Yorkshire coast still supports good breeding populations of Kittiwake and Fulmar. In the right conditions seawatching from Filey, Scarborough and the Whitby area can be rewarding. Although somewhat overshadowed by the migrant hotspots of Flamborough and Spurn, the North Yorkshire coastline is productive for the migrant hunter with Filey and the Scarborough and Whitby areas all offer excellent migrant watching in the right conditions.Inland sites include the wildfowl havens of the Lower Derwent valley, the upland habitats of the Pennines, in particular Swaledale and Arkengarthdale and the excellent woodlands at Bolton Abbey.

Top Sites
  • Bolton Abbey Woods

    Satellite View
    Excellent for breeding woodland species including Pied Flycatcher, Common Redstart and Wood Warbler.
  • Castle Howard Lake

    Satellite View
    Attracts wintering wildfowl such as Pochard and Tufted Duck plus scarcer species in cold weather. Has breeding Reed Warbler, whilst Ospreys and Black Terns are sometimes seen during the spring and autumn.
  • Filey Brigg and Country Park

    WebsiteSatellite View
    Sea watching yields shearwaters, skuas, terns, auks, but the bay is also good for divers, grebes and gulls, and is one of the most reliable site for Purple Sandpiper in the region. Migrant passerines occur in good numbers in the surrounding area, and this well-watched site is especially good in autumn. The nearby Filey Dams reserve (TA 107807) attracts small numbers of wildfowl and passage waders.
  • Forge Valley

    Satellite View
    Woodland species. Dipper can be found on the river at Hilla Green. Nearby the lake at Hackness (SE 968901) is a reliable location for Mandarin Duck.
  • Long Nab, Burniston

    Satellite View
    The clifftop fields with hedgerows and scrub in this area are attractive to a variety of migrant passerines. Seawatching from the point at Long Nab can be rewarding and will produce a similar selection of species to Filey or Flamborough Head.
  • Nosterfield Gravel Pits and LNR

    InformationSatellite View
    Attracts significant numbers of wintering and migrant wildfowl and waders, including the occasional rarity.
  • Scalby Mills and Scalby Lodge Pond

    Satellite View
    This pond just inland from the Cleveland Way attracts small numbers of migrant waders and has wintering Wigeon. The rocks at Scalby Mills are attractive to wintering waders and gulls, sometimes including rarer species like Iceland and Glaucous Gull.
  • Scarborough Harbour & Castle Hill

    Satellite View
    The town of Scarborough offers some good birding, especially in the spring/autumn and winter. The cliffs at Castle Hill have breeding Kittiwakes, and the trees and scrub here attract interesting migrants. The harbour attracts gulls, sometimes including Iceland and Glaucous, and there is a regular roost of Purple Sandpiper.
  • Skipwith Common

    Satellite View
    This used to be one of the best places in the region for Nightjar, at the northern edge of its range (but now only occasionally seen on passage), plus Woodcock and other heath and woodland species.
  • Swaledale and Arkengarthdale

    Satellite View
    Excellent in spring and early summer for species characteristic of the uplands, including Red and Black Grouse, Golden Plover, Curlew, Lapwing, Dipper and Ring Ouzel.
  • Wheldrake Ings

    Satellite View
    This Yorkshire Wildlife Trust area forms part of the Lower Derwent Valley NNR and attracts huge numbers of winter wildfowl including Whooper and Bewick's swans, as well as an array of other species throughout the year. The car park is a favourite spot for Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, and a few pairs of Garganey are usually present through the summer months.
  • Wykeham Forest and Raptor Watchpoint

    Satellite View
    Watchpoint for Goshawk and Honey Buzzard, also good for Crossbill and Turtle Dove. Nightjar is regular in the forest clearings during the summer, whilst Great Grey Shrikes may be present during the winter months.
Contributors
  • Chris Bradshaw

    | chrisgbradshaw@hotmail.com

County Recorder
Useful Reading

  • Where to Watch Birds in Yorkshire

    | By John Mather | Christopher Helm | 2008 | Paperback | 320 pages, line drawings, maps | ISBN: 9780713687828 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Useful Information
  • Chair of the YNU Rarities Committee

    Garry Taylor 07970 714178
  • Yorkshire Ornithological Committee

    Chairman: Craig Thomas 16 Scarborough Road, Filey, North Yorkshire, YO14 9EF, Tel: 01723 513055 e-mail craigcthomas@yahoo.co.uk Elected members: Mike Pilsworth, Hillcrest, Whitgift, Goole, DN14 8HL, Tel: 01405 704082 e-mail: mikepilsworth@hotmail.com Representative on Humber Wildfowl Refuge Committee: Miss A Gowland(Not part of committee) YNU Protection Officer: Doug Simpson, 51 Heather Way, Harrogate, HG3 2SH, Tel: 01423 538645 e-mail: doug@milvus.me.uk
Observatories
  • Filey Bird Observatory

    Observatory WebsiteSatellite View
    Our aims include the recording and studying of Filey’s birds, and protecting and enhancing local habitats for wildlife (including ownership and management of several nature reserves). Our work is entirely voluntary and reliant on our membership and their generosity. Members receive a range of benefits, as well as regular newsletters, the annual report, and the satisfaction of helping the study and protection of local wildlife.
Museums & Universities
  • Yorkshire Museum

    The biology collection does also have avian exhibits
Organisations
  • East Dales Ringing Group

    Website
    The inaugural meeting took place on 26th August 1996. A constitution was drawn up and the group registered with the BTO. There are seven full members and four associate members. Full members are active in the club area and the associates help in the area when required. As well as group activities members have their own individual sites and projects. The group also help Robin Ward with his cannon netting on the Tees estuary or Seal Sands when required. He is also helping with projects within the group area…
  • East Yorkshire Ringing Group (Many sites in N Yorks)

    Website
    The Ringing Officer for the Group is the registered ringer in charge, and ultimately all responsibility as regards trapping and ringing birds in the area lies with him
  • Filey Brigg Ornithological Group

    Website
    Filey Town is situated on the east coast of North Yorkshire between the towns of Scarborough and Bridlington. Filey Brigg is a finger of limestone that juts almost half a mile out to sea. The Brigg to the north and Flamborough Head to the south, form the natural breakwaters for Filey Bay
  • RSPB Craven & Pendle Local Group

    Facebook Page
    Events, meetings etc.
  • RSPB York Local Group

    Website
    This web site aims to provide information for the members and for anyone who is interested the work of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, particularly in the York area in England…
  • Ryedale Natural History Society

    Website
    The area covered by the Ryedale Natural History Society extends from the Hambleton Hills in the west to the A169 Pickering to Whitby road in the east and from Bransdale Moor and the Lyke Wake walk in the north to the River Rye and its environs in the south, a total area of some 800 square kilometres.
  • Scarborough Field Naturalists

    Facebook Page
    Scarborough Field Naturalists' Society (SFNS) was founded in 1889. We are a group of amateur naturalists' with interests throughout the spectrum of natural history. There are members at all levels of knowledge, from interested beginners to those with specialist knowledge in their chosen fields. We would encourage anyone with an interest in the natural world around them to take a look at our Meetings web page, choose a talk that is of particular interest (or just the next one on the list), and come along to see what we are all about…
  • Wharfedale Naturalists Society

    Facebook Page
    The Society has reprinted NATURE TRAIL ON ILKLEY MOOR together with the equally popular GEOLOGY TRAIL ON ILKLEY MOOR, both of which are completely sold out. The leaflet, Birds of Ilkley Moor, is illustrated by John Busby and Jeremy Taylor. Each sells at 40p
  • York Ornithological Club

    Website
    Welcome to the YOCs website. Find out about the club, activities and the best sites for watching birds in the York recording area.
  • Yorkshire Naturalists Union

    Website
    The Yorkshire Naturalists' Union is devoted to studying and recording Yorkshire's flora and fauna. We are an association of amateur and professional naturalists covering a wide range of aspects of natural history. We are one of the country's oldest wildlife organisations, having celebrated our 150th anniversary in 2011.
  • Yorkshire Red Kites

    Website
    The Yorkshire Red Kite Project was the fifth in this sequence and began at Harewood Estate in West Yorkshire in 1999. By this time, the newly established Chilterns population had been so successful that, up to 2003, it was able to supply a total of 68 young birds for release in Yorkshire
Reserves

Abbreviations Key

  • North York Moors National Park

    WebsiteSatellite View
    The North York Moors National Park is a beautiful landscape of stunning moorland, spectacular coast, ancient woodland and historic sites. It's a great place whatever time of year…
  • Nosterfield Local Nature Reserve - Lower Ure Conservation Trust

    WebsiteSatellite View
    Welcome to the Lower Ure Conservation Trust’s website.
LUCT is a small charity but with big successes; working hard to promote and support our local wildlife, whilst thinking big landscape scale. We manage Nosterfield Local Nature Reserve, generally acknowledged as North Yorkshire’s premier wetland grassland nature reserve… See also: http://www.ydmt.org/what-we-do-details-nosterfield-local-nature-reserve-11669
  • Yorkshire Dales National Park

    WebsiteSatellite View
    Covering an area of 1,762 square kilometres (680 square miles), the National Park is located in the north of England, and straddles the central Pennines in the counties of North Yorkshire and Cumbria…
Forums & Mailing Lists
  • Birdwatching in the County of Yorkshire

    Mailing Group
    This list is for Yorkshire birders, birdwatchers, birdspotters, and related subjects in the Counties of North, East, South, and West Yorkshire England.
  • NorthEastBirding

    This group is for everyone interested in birds and birding in North East England (Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, County Durham, Cleveland, North Yorkshire). It is a discussion forum for all aspects of birding - sightings, trip reports, census work, personality profiles, bird race and Big Day records, lists - and jokes.
  • NorthYorksBirdNews

    Twitter
    @nybirdnews - Rare and scarce bird news from North Yorkshire and a bit of other stuff if it's quiet
Places to Stay


Click on WAND to see Fatbirder’s Trip Report Repository…

  • Andy & Kate's Air B&B Bempton

    Accommodation
    Suitable for couples and small families, we provide a peaceful place to stay. Recently refurbished and comes with wifi and smart TV.
  • Marmion - Robin Hoods Bay

    Accommodation
    Situated in the centre of the village of Fylingthorpe on the delightful Yorkshire Coast, 5 minutes walk from Robin Hoods Bay. Marmion is a substancial Victorian house, offering comfortable, well-equipped and spacious holiday self catering accommodation for up to seven people. Only 10 to 15 minutes walk from the beach, Marmion is in a pleasant position to absorb the character of the Robin Hoods Bay Area. Marmion has sea and countryside views, old beams, an open fire and a sunny patio
  • River View B&B

    Accommodation
    River View B&B holiday accommodation is in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, England, UK and is a famous area for a vacation, close to the market towns of Hawes, Sedbergh, and Ingleton. It is 3
  • Standfield Hall Cottage

    Accommodation
    Standfield Hall Cottage is a fantastic, detached, cosy two bedroom holiday cottage on an organic farm within beautiful Yorkshire scenery. It's your basis for a perfect farm holiday, a home-from home all year round and with a lovely big garden so if you have kids, they have a safe place to run around...
Other Links
  • Huddleston & Jackson Bird Ringing Partnership

    Website
    This Web Site is being created to pass on information from the Huddleston & Jackson Bird Ringing (Banding) Partnership that operates in the York area of the UK
  • Nature in the Dales - Birds

    Facebook Page
    These pages include local information about 29 bird species found in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, from curlew to cuckoos and lapwings to linnets. Why not use our A-Z of wildlife below or the general search box at the top of the page to quickly find the species you are looking for and then have the facts at your fingertips.
  • North York Moors Wildlife

    Webpage
    From moorland birds to minke whales, there’s a wealth of wildlife waiting to be discovered on the North York Moors. Here's a selection of spots that are easy to get to and where you've got a pretty good chance of seeing something.
  • Scarborough Birders

    Website
    Scarborough birders is a group of people interested in the birds of the Scarborough area, and provides a network and a voice for local birdwatchers. The group is self-administered and is for the benefit of anyone interested in wild birds.
  • Songbirds Of The North Yorkshire Forests And Moors

    Webpage
    Learning bird song can be a daunting task. This tour focuses on birds of woodland and open country in North Yorkshire, getting to grips with a wide range of species from common warblers to finches. The North Yorkshire forests have a great variety of habitats from ancient deciduous to recent coniferous woodlands, containing specialist birds such as Crossbills, Redstarts and Tree Pipits. Close by in the heather of the North York Moors National Park, Whinchats and occasional Ring Ouzels reside.
  • Top 10 Wildlife Watching Spots

    Information
    Get closer to nature by discovering Yorkshire's wilder side! With rolling countryside, unspoilt habitat and the stunning Dinosaur Coast, Yorkshire is a perfect sanctuary for many of England's greatest species. Not to mention the keenest wildlife enthusiasts.
Blogs
  • Andy Walker - A W Birder

    BLOG
    World birder working as a guide/tour leader for Birding Ecotours and Freelance Consultant Ornithologist. Main focus on Europe, Asia and Australasia. Increasingly interested in reptiles, amphibians and mammals! I like Pittas...you can see my pics below...
  • Calderdale Birds

    BLOG
    This is the blog for bird sightings and related news in the Calderdale area. It is generally updated daily. Any non-member wishing to report and post sightings should send them to: info(at)calderdalebirds(dot)co(dot)uk
  • Dave Craven - Why Watch Wildlife?

    BLOG
    A blog dedicated to watching birds and other wildlife in Yorkshire, and further afield
  • James - Nature North

    BLOG
    Thirsk - I get out and about mainly in Yorkshire, Cleveland and Bedfordshire. I photograph/digiscope birds, bugs, mammals and flowers with variable success. I am a member of RSPB, BTO, Teesmouth Bird Club, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and Butterfly Conservation.
  • Jono Leadley - Birding Dad

    BLOG
    I am a birder from York, who became a Dad in April 2008 (and again in March 2010). I birded York until 1993 when I went off to UEA in Norwich. After spending some time in Madagascar and Indonesia, I ended up in Cambridgeshire. In May 2009 I moved away from one of the best inland birding patches, Grafham Water, Cambridgeshire, to live in Norfolk. I birded the mid-Yare Valley NNR (Strumpshaw - Buckenham - Cantley) for 18 months, but have now moved back to York, where I'm from.
  • PicStop - Optics

    Shop
    01624 670005 - York House, Wetherby Road, Long Marston, York, YO26 7NH - High quality optics from leading brands - If astronomy or wildlife spotting is more your thing we have an amazing collection of telescopes, binoculars and spotters that are ideal for beginners and experts
  • Steven Farley - Yorkshire Wild

    BLOG
    I consider my patch to be anywhere in the Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire area. My favourite places being, Bank Island, Wheldrake, Alkborough Flats, Spurn Point, North Cave Wetlands and the many other sites around the Humber.
  • The official blog for the North York Moors National Park

    BLOG
    The North York Moors – forged by nature, shaped by generations. Come and explore our National Park – 554 square miles of secluded dales, magical moors, ancient woodland, historic sites and 26 miles of stunning coastline, all easily reached from York, Teesside and County Durham. Read about our work here, and then pay us a visit!
Photographers & Artists
  • Artist - Robert E Fuller - A Day In the Life of a Wildlife Artist

    Gallery
    Robert E Fuller is one of Britain's foremost wildlife artists. His paintings sell all over the world and his trademark, highly-detailed images have been adopted at home by the RSPB and the National Trust. He has exhibited in wildlife galleries across Europe and up to 7,000 people visit his own gallery in North Yorkshire each year.
  • Artist - Steven Lingham

    Gallery
    Steven Lingham is a self-taught artist born in Derby, England in 1973, who previously worked as a trained printer. He has spent the majority of his life living in Yorkshire and is now living in a small village near the beautiful old city of York with his wife. Steven is a member of the RSPB, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and The Wildlife Art Society all of which promote conservation of British Wildlife. Subsequently it is not surprising that most of his work is focused around wildlife, including his real passion for British birds
  • Photographer - Steve Mills

    Gallery
    Steve Mills is an award-winning photographer based in North Yorkshire, England. His image 'The Assasin' won the Birds: Behaviour category in the prestigious Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2011 and he was the only category winner from Britain.

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