BLACKTOFT SANDS RSPB RESERVE 
ENGLAND

EAST YORKSHIRE (s)

SE84o03´/23o02´ 190ha (122ha reedbeds) tidally influenced confluence of Rivers Trent and Ouse, extensive reedbeds and open water barely above sea level 
Protected/registered status 
Best Time for visit (1980 to present)

 

Birding Site Guide

From Goole (approach via M62 or M18) take the A161 towards Swinefleet, and follow the RSPB signs from here along the minor road that follows the River Ouse floodbank to Ousefleet. Just past (e of) Ousefleet, on the left before a 90 degree bend, there is the signed RSPB car park. Facilities include a small visitor centre with toilet and shop and 7 hides, wheelchair access. 

The habitat is reedbeds and marsh at the confluence of the River Trent with the River Ouse/Humber, and is situated on the w bank of the former and the s of the latter. 


RSPB reserves www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/


Species Notes

Rarities not on my list have included Green Heron Butorides striatus and Red-necked StintCalidris ruficollis and a good many others. Search the arable fields around here on passage as these often hold small groups of Dotterel. Rose-coloured Starling has been found nearby. 


Birds seen (some common species may have been missed off)

  • Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata
  • Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
  • Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus
  • Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
  • Little Egret Egretta garzetta
  • Great Egret Egretta alba
  • Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
  • Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia
  • Mute Swan Cygnus olor
  • Whooper Swan C. Cygnus
  • Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus
  • Greylag Goose A. anser
  • Canada Goose Branta canadensis
  • Barnacle Goose B. leucopsis
  • Brent Goose B. bernicla
  • Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna
  • Eurasian Wigeon Anas Penelope
  • Gadwall A. strepera
  • Common Teal A. crecca
  • Mallard A. platyrhynchos
  • Pintail A. acuta
  • Garganey A. querquedula
  • Northern Shoveler A. clypeata
  • Common Pochard Aythya ferina
  • Tufted Duck A. fuligula
  • Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula
  • Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator
  • Goosander M. merganser
  • Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis
  • Red Kite M. milvus
  • Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus
  • Hen Harrier C. cyaneus
  • Eurasian Sparrowhawk A. nisus
  • Common Buzzard Buteo buteo
  • Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
  • Merlin F. columbarius
  • Hobby F. subbuteo
  • Peregrine Falcon F. peregrinus
  • Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa
  • Grey Partridge Perdix perdix
  • Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus
  • Water Rail Rallus aquaticus
  • Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
  • Common Coot Fulica atra
  • Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus
  • Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta
  • Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius
  • Great Ringed Plover C. hiaticula
  • Dotterel C. morinellus
  • European Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria
  • Grey Plover P. squatarola
  • Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus
  • Red Knot Calidris canutus
  • Little Stint C. minuta
  • Curlew Sandpiper C. ferruginea
  • Dunlin C. alpina
  • Ruff Philomachus pugnax
  • Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago
  • Woodcock Scolopax rusticola
  • Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa
  • Bar-tailed Godwit L. lapponica
  • Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
  • Eurasian Curlew N. arquata
  • Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus
  • Common Redshank T. totanus
  • Greenshank T. nebularia
  • Marsh Sandpiper T. stagnatilis
  • Green Sandpiper T. ochropus
  • Wood Sandpiper T. glareola
  • Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
  • Turnstone Arenaria interpres
  • Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus
  • Ross`s Gull Rhodostethia rosea
  • Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus
  • Little Gull L. minutus
  • Black-headed Gull L. ridibundus
  • Common Gull L. canus
  • Lesser Black-backed Gull L. fuscus
  • Herring Gull L. argentatus
  • Great Black-backed Gull L. marinus
  • Sandwich Tern S. sandvicensis
  • Common Tern S. hirundo
  • Arctic Tern S. paradisaea
  • Little Tern S. albifrons
  • Black Tern Chlidonias niger
  • White-winged Black Tern C. leucopterus
  • Rock Dove Columba livia
  • Stock Dove C. oenas
  • Wood Pigeon C. palumbus
  • Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
  • Turtle Dove S. turtur
  • Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus
  • Barn Owl Tyto alba
  • Long-eared Owl Asio otus
  • Short-eared Owl A. flammeus
  • Common Swift Apus apus
  • Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
  • Green Woodpecker Picus viridis
  • Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major
  • Sky Lark Alauda arvensis
  • Sand Martin Riparia riparia
  • Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
  • House Martin Delichon urbicum
  • Meadow Pipit A. pratensis
  • Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava
  • Grey Wagtail M. cinerea
  • Pied Wagtail M. alba
  • Wren Troglodytes troglodytes
  • Hedge Accentor Prunella modularis
  • Robin Erithacus rubecula
  • Bluethroat Luscinia svecica
  • Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros
  • Common Redstart P. phoenicurus
  • Whinchat Saxicola rubetra
  • Common Stonechat S. torquatus
  • Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe
  • Blackbird T. merula
  • Fieldfare T. pilaris
  • Song Thrush T. philomelos
  • Redwing T. iliacus
  • Mistle Thrush T. viscivorus
  • Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia
  • Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus
  • Reed Warbler A. scirpaceus
  • Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca
  • Common Whitethroat S. communis
  • Garden Warbler S. borin
  • Blackcap S. atricapilla
  • Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita
  • Willow Warbler P. trochilus
  • Goldcrest Regulus regulus
  • Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus
  • Bearded Reedling Panurus biarmicus
  • Willow Tit Parus montanus
  • Blue Tit P. caeruleus
  • Great Tit P. major
  • European Nuthatch Sitta europaea
  • Magpie Pica pica
  • Eurasian Jackdaw Corvus monedula
  • Rook C. frugilegus
  • Carrion Crow C. corone
  • Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris
  • House Sparrow Passer domesticus
  • Tree Sparrow P. montanus
  • Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs
  • Greenfinch Carduelis chloris
  • Goldfinch C. carduelis
  • Siskin C. spinus
  • Linnet C. cannabina
  • Lesser Redpoll C. cabaret
  • Common Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula
  • Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella
  • Reed Bunting E. schoeniclus
  • Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra

 

Other Fauna 
A total of -- species of mammals. 

There are -- recorded species of amphibians and reptiles. 

Flora 

Author: BSG

www.birdingsiteguide.com