Introduction to the Clifton Grove Area
Access
Access to the Clifton Grove area is by turning off the A453 at Clifton village drive through the village and park in the water users car park at the far end of the village next to the church.
Clifton Grove
The Clifton Grove area is situated in the Trent Valley on the south/West of Nottingham and consists of three very diverse sites. The Grove is 17.3 hectares in size and is situated on a steep escarpment that runs alongside the river trent. At the top of the esarpment is a footpath that runs through an avenue of trees ,the footpath leads down to the base of the escarpment and along the side of the river, this footpath forms part of the Trent Valley Way. The steep cliff of the Grove support a mixed deciduous woodland.
An excellent area for the commoner woodland species with all three woodpeckers seen in the area on many occasions.
Holme Pit
Holme Pit is a man made pond that was designated a SSSI (Special Scientific Interest) site in 1982. The area is managed by the Holme Pit Action Group.The pond is 3.5 hectares in size and has a good size reedbed and is also surrounded by wet grassland and willow carr vegetation. The pond is a excellent habitat for Water Rail that can be seen on most visits but show better in the winter months. The area holds good numbers of breeding Sedge and Reed Warbler in the summer. Wildfowl numbers are quite poor with only small numbers of Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Eurasian Teal and Northern Shoveler seen as the pond is to shallow and dosn't seem to attract any Goldeneye or Goosesander. 2 Great Bittern were seen in 1998 so with the many recent sightings of this species in winter over the river at Attenborough it is always worth looking out for.
Clifton Woods
Clifton Wood runs at the back of Clifton Hall and is 12.1 hectares and are a part of a series of woods that run fo several miles along the trent valley. This deciduous woodland holds most of the common species of woodland birds including all 3 Woodpeckers. In spring the woodland floor turns blue with flowering Bluebells. The area is also a excellent place to see Badger and Pipistrelle bat feeding on the woodland edge as it passes Holme Pit.
Siskin - Clifton Woods
The Alder Plantation
The Alder Plantation is situated at the rear of Clifton Woods, This small plantation consists of young Silver Birch and Alder trees and is a magnet in the winter months for a varity of birds including Siskin and Lesser Redpoll feeding on the Alder seeds. This area has also attracted Brambling and Hawfinch and is also very good for Lesser Spotted Woodpecker,i have also seen Roe Deer in this area on a few occasians.
This area is accessed by walking through Clifton wood towards Barton-in-Fabis. On walking out of Clifton wood turn left and walk up the steep slope, at the top of the slope walk over the stile and into the Alder plantation. Follow the path to the left viewing the many Alder Trees for feedind finchs. You Can also park your car in Hawksworth Cresent Barton green and follow the footpath that leads through the Alder Plantation.
Hawfinch - The Alder Plantation
The surrounding Farmland
There are many excellent sites on the farmland that surrounds the Clifton Grove area that hold some of the scarcer bird species. Tree Sparrow numbers seem to be doing well in this area but only breed in very small numbers, but the nest box project that i have set up in the area should provide the area with a healthy Tree Sparrow population. Corn Bunting is also in the area but again only in small numbers. The track from beeston weir to clifton wood attract wintering Stonechat and this year 6 birds were seen in the first week of november, 1 pair was still present in the second week of febuary . The fields near to beeston weir also attract passage migrants such as Wheatear and Whinchat in spring and autumn and has also turned up the odd surprise such as a Snow Bunting in november 2005.
Egyptian Goose - The Weir Field
Barton-in-Fabis
Branshill Wood
Branshill wood is a mixed deciduous woodland with some large conifers that hosts a large heronry . The heronry is one of the largest in notts with about 40+ pairs breeding from febuary onwards.
Common Buzzard is now a common sighting over Branshill wood with 4 to 6 birds present on most visits. A Red-tailed Hawk has also been in the area since June 2006 at least but it is possible that the bird has been in the area since November/December 2005 as some photo's i took of common Buzzard back in 2005 might be of this bird.
Red-tailed Hawk - Branshill Wood
Branshill Wood Ponds
On the edge of Branshill Wood are two small ponds, this area is an excellent place to see Hobby in the summer months as they hawk Dragonflys from over the ponds. The Lilly Pond attracts small numbers of Eurasian Teal and Northern Shoveler in the winter months. Water Rail has yet to be seen in this area but it must be there somewhere.
In September 2006 2 female Marsh Harrier spent 20 mins quartering over this area befor heading off towards Holme Pit.
Barton-in-Fabis Fields
The fields in front of Branshill wood attract good numbers of passage migrants to the area. Northern Wheater, Blue-Headed Wagtail, White Wagtail and Yellow Wagtail were all seen in April 2006 and up to 7 Whinchat and small numbers of Northern Wheatear were seen in September 2006.
This area is also a good place to see Common Stonchat from late Septemer to early april. Autum and winter can hold large numbers of a varity of finch and Buntings feeding on the seeds in the many setaside fields. Merlin and Short-eared Owl also frequent this area in winter.
Northern Wheatear - Barton-in-Fabis
Barton Flash
Barton Flash is a small flooded area near the river viewable from both sides of the river. This small area can produce almost anything, with recent sightings of Whimbrel, Little Ringed Plover, Little Egret, Oystercatcher and Gargany so it is always worth spending time viewing over this area.
Eurasian Wigeon - Barton Flash
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