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New Wetland Nature Reserve at Thornwick Country Park

Sun 10th Feb, 2013

Yorkshire Coast Nature  works with many partners to achieve benefits for wildlife and donates significant funds from nature tours to help local conservation projects. The project below provides a great example.

In 2003 the owners of Thornwick and Sea Farm Holiday Centre created a small country park incorporating two small interconnected wildlife pools linked by a narrrow channel. Several areas of Phragmites and Reedmace were planted and the pools were colonised by water-loving plants such as Starwort and Water Crowfoot. The pools provided one of the only year-round areas of open water on Flamborough Headland, receiving both spring-fed water and the overflow from the ground pump-sourced nearby fishing pond.

In late summer 2011 a partnership between Thornwick Holidays, Flamborough Bird Observatory, Green Future Building, Wold Ecology and Yorkshire Coast Nature was established, with YCN providing a £700 grant, to create a larger wetland, improving habitat for many types of wildlife. Work commenced in August 2011. The area was transformed in a flash and within four weeks of finishing the work, 12 species of wading bird were seen including Little Stint, Dunlin, Buff-breasted Sandiper, Spotted Redshank, Curlew Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, and Ruff!

None of these species had been recorded on the site until this habitat was created, which gave all the volunteers involved a fantastic feeling of achievement. The reserve has now become a vital stop-off point for migrating birds and a popular place for birdwatchers.

In late 2011 a new (flat pack!) bird hide was bought from Green Future Building. Volunteers from Flamborough Bird Observatory built the hide and afterwards sat peering from the windows, deciding which future rare birds would be seen! Little did we know that only seven months later one of our predictions would come true! On 19th May local birders Cynthia and Brett Richards discovered a Citrine Wagtail feeding next to the reeds!

The final stage of major habitat work funded by the Green Business Network commenced on site in December 2012. By spring 2013 we hope to have a Sand Martin colony and gravel area for breeding waders completed.

This site is becoming a main draw for birdwatchers on Flamborough Headland. We could not have achieved this without the funding and hard work of the partnership. Great thanks go to all and especially Thornwick and Sea Farm Holiday Centre for allowing us to 'go wild' with the digger!

Richard Baines, YCN