CLUMBER PARK (Sherwood Forest)& LIST

ENGLAND

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE (Worksop), (S)

National Grid SW SK 6227 7429 00o00´/00o00´ 1274ha 35-40m, mainly forest and large manmade lake (by damming the River Poulter) 
Any time (12.12.92, 16.1.94)

 

Birding Site Guide

From the A1 take the roundabout near Worksop onto the A614 heading w towards Worksop. The main gate is the first on the right from this roundabout less than a km from it. Follow the road down for nearly 6km to the car park which is on the left. Pay for parking at the booth. There is a cafe by the lake and toilet but little else at this National Trust site. 

From the car park it is a short walk to the lake and this can be walked all the way around on good paths. The lake holds good numbers of wildfowl, but the main attraction around the car park, particularly a little north to wards the chapel, are the Hawfinches, which are often found at the top of the tall Hornbeams here. Also the scarce Marsh Tit has a strong hold here look for it in the damp woods around the lake.

There is another right turn 6km s from the A1/A614 roundabout which can be followed w and the woods can be birded from lay-bys along here looking n. The main interest here is in summer when Honey Buzzard may be in the area, and can sometimes be seen soaring over the forest. 

Clumber Park is only a short distance from other birding areas such as Sherwood Forest Country Park (to the sw) where the Major Oak of Robin Hood legend can be seen. There is also Sherwood Pines Forest Park a little way further s. Then there is Rufford Country Park across the A614 from Sherwood Pines and Wellow Park to the east. These mainly wooded areas (forest in English means a place of deer not of trees, so I make the distinction here) are all part of the historical Sherwood Forest, though little of it is the actual ancient woodland. Much has regrown or been replanted, sometimes with native species sometimes with non-natives. Still it gives an idea of the amount of woodland we must have lost over the centuries. 


Birds seen (this is a partial composite list from some of my visits).

  • Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus
  • Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
  • Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
  • Mute Swan Cygnus olor
  • Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus
  • Greylag Goose Anser anser
  • Canada Goose Branta canadensis
  • Wigeon Anas penelope
  • Gadwall Anas strepera
  • Teal Anas crecca
  • Mallard Anas platyrhynchus
  • Pochard Aythya ferina
  • Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula
  • Goldeneye Bucephala clangula
  • Goosander Mergus merganser
  • Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis
  • Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus
  • Buzzard Buteo buteo
  • Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
  • Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
  • Coot Fulica atra
  • Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus
  • Common Gull Larus canus
  • Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus
  • Herring Gull Larus argentatus
  • Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus
  • Stock Dove Columba oenas
  • Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus
  • Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
  • Pied Wagtail Motocilla alba
  • Wren Troglodytes troglodytes
  • Dunnock Prunella modularis
  • Robin Erithacus rubecula
  • Blackbird Turdus merula
  • Fieldfare Turdus pilaris
  • Song Thrush Turdus philomelos
  • Redwing Turdus iliacus
  • Goldcrest Regulus regulus
  • Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus
  • Marsh Tit Parus palustris
  • Coal Tit Parus ater
  • Blue Tit Parus caeruleus
  • Great Tit Parus major
  • Nuthatch Sitta europaea
  • Treecreeper Certhia familiaris
  • Jay Garrulus glandarius
  • Magpie Pica pica
  • Jackdaw Corvus monedula
  • Starling Sturmus vulgaris
  • House Sparrow Passer domesticus
  • Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs
  • Greenfinch Carduelis chloris
  • Greenfinch Carduelis chloris
  • Siskin Carduelis spinus
  • Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula
  • Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes


Author: BSG

www.birdingsiteguide.com