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Post Info TOPIC: Sizergh Castle


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RE: Sizergh Castle (Hawfinches)


If I've read my Handbook correctly,The House is shut all Winter.
Cafe, shop and Gardens open 11 to 4 (5 in Summer)
Everything shuts throughout January. Garden shut Jan/ Feb and Opens 13/3.
The NT Newsletter talks of a Childrens Ice rink.....New...''Get Ya Skates on.''...
From 23/11 to23/12

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I wonder who did the environmental impact assesment. Whoever it was must be fairly bad at their job.

I assume you'll let us have Rob Pocklington's contact details if you get them.

-- Edited by Mike Chorley on Wednesday 2nd of November 2011 10:09:24 PM

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Sounds like a good idea, i will try to find an email for him and contact him, i also urge anyone else who feel the same to send a small email to him and speak there concerns, my friend called the trust today, im not sure who he spoke too and unfortunatly had no luck, the trust did express there concerns about the birds but apparantly the decision has already been made and the reason being the Hawfinches feed in the early morning and the play area will be used from opening time onwards so there will be no disturbance in there opinion? i have seen Hawfinches there at all times of day and they may feed in the early morning but that is because they like quiet and dont hang around when it is noisy or busy, the building of the park itself is going to be a disturbance, i hope the birds can survive this, i think these birds are superb and they are one of my favourite birds, it will be very sad if they are pushed away


sizergh@nationaltrust.org.uk this is the only email i can find so far,

Steve Matthewman wrote:

That's a shame!
There's a guy called Rob Pocklington, who works for the National Trust at Sizergh and is a keen birder. It might be an idea to contact him and find out what is going on.





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Did you see it? It was small and brown and flew that way.........................


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That's a shame!
There's a guy called Rob Pocklington, who works for the National Trust at Sizergh and is a keen birder. It might be an idea to contact him and find out what is going on.

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This morning i had a phone call from a friend who turned up at the castle. Unbeleivably they have started plans to build a play area on the small patch of ground where the hawfinches feed. Even though the castle area is vast and in many acres they have choosen this tiny important area and one of the few reliable sites for seeing hawfinch. We are looking into who is in charge and seeing if there is anything we can do? Who we can complain too? Possibly national trust. Not sure yet. I will post more info as i get it. I personally feel this area is so small and important it would be such a shame to lose it.

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Did you see it? It was small and brown and flew that way.........................


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hoping to get here for a morning later in the week.
am staying at Low park wood camp site about a mile away.
will keep posted!

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-J


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At least 9 birds in the trees around the carpark this a.m. giving good views

Also:

Greater Spotted Woodpecker 2
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Jackdaw
Mistle Thrush
Song Thrush
Blackbird
Nuthatch

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Called in at Sizergh 8.10 AM on Tuesday (05/04) Excellent views of 4 Hawfinch, 3 m 1 f. Feeding on floor at v close range with Chaffinch and Greenfinch. Also flitting up in trees.
Good prolonged chance to watch these cracking birds.
Well worth an early rise.

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Arrived at Sizergh this morning just before 8am with Iain Johnson. The car park gates were just being opened and we drove in with another birder who had his camera. We saw about 10 birds originally which flew off, but gradually one or two returned. One gave us excellent views and as we left there seemed to be others returning. I would certainly recommend this site for Hawfinch, one of the best I've visitedsmile.gif

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Only the obsessed understand!


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Sid, Gordon, Pete, Thanks for your advice. I popped in on the way to Sellafield yesterday morning. Sun shining, dawn chorus in full swing including the metallic pitch of the Hawfinch. I was there at about 7:30am, so pretty cold but a bird was present for about 10-15 minutes in the area opposite the cafe like you said. One of the wardens was present with a scope etc, as were a few other birders, but only 3-4 to be fair. Another bird was seen briefly in the trees behind us, which was also calling, so happy enough to have got cracking views, but from chatting to the warden he reckons there may be up to 30 individuals biggrin.gif.

Glad I made the little stop off. smile.gifsmile.gif

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Just to confirm as soon as its light has worked for me and the very tall trees behind the cafe - but also the Hornbeam [?] in the bottom of the loop of the car park in front of the cafe entrance - for such a distinctive bird they can be tricky to spot and I've never got more than a record shot! Perhaps we should agree a spot and starting doing a bit of sneaky seeding smile.gif

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Thanks Gordon and Sid, always good to the info before a visit when time is tight.

I might get an opportunity on my way up next week or the week after if it is light when I'm passing by in the morning. I'll check out the location you mentioned and hope for the best. I've seen them in a few places over the years including Chester, Thetford Forest, N.Lancs and Conwy Valley, but not seen any this winter and as I've been driving past Sizergh (always in the darkness so far) I've been waiting for the mornings and evenings to brighten up a little biggrin.gif. Thanks, I'll post what I see in the coming weeks.

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Gordon Taylor wrote:

Hi Sean, I saw four in the trees in the centre of the car park in January. I usually go in late March or early April. They can often be seen feeding under the trees in the lower left hand corner. Last year I saw nine there, a local had seen fourteen just before I arrived. The best time of day may be before the staff arrive at 9:00am when it is quiet.
Hope this info is usefulsmile.gif


Gordon, those trees in the lower part of the car park will almost certainly be the Hornbeams to which I referred wink.gif



-- Edited by sid ashton on Thursday 17th of February 2011 07:49:44 AM

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Hi Sean, I saw four in the trees in the centre of the car park in January. I usually go in late March or early April. They can often be seen feeding under the trees in the lower left hand corner. Last year I saw nine there, a local had seen fourteen just before I arrived. The best time of day may be before the staff arrive at 9:00am when it is quiet.
Hope this info is usefulsmile.gif

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Sean in the past I have found the Hawfinches at Sizergh in and around the Hornbeams opposite to the cafe in the car park. I have also found that the best time is early morning when it's quite. Hope that helps.

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Sizergh Castle


I popped in to Sizergh Castle yesterday early evening for 15 minutes, before they closed the gates to see if I could find a Hawfinch or two knocking around before dusk, but sadly failed to find any. However, I can see the appeal to them, as the place is descirbed as "an imposing medieval castle set in a 638ha estate", so plenty of room for them then.

Having not been there before or been on any of the birder walks that the Trust run I wasn't really sure where they tend to feed, so if anyone has been to see them up there can you let me know, as hopefully I'll get another chance to see them on my journeys to Cumbria over the next month or so biggrin.gif.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 12th of November 2014 10:22:08 PM

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