Thorne and Hatfield Moors Conservation Forum Moors

Birds

Both Moors were designated as SPAs because they support a breeding population of approximately 2% of the GB population of Nightjar.

The variety of habitats, their sheer size, and the isolation of both moors makes them attractive to a surprisingly large range of species, including a number of national rarities. Since the cessation of peat milling, and the beginning of regeneration habitats are in a state of flux, so it is very difficult to give a clear guide to what is likely to be seen where and when. Patience and a good pair of binoculars are both essentials. It also helps to be fairly fit and have a good sense of direction, as landmarks are few and far between, especially since the demolition of the Moorends Colliery headgear.

Thorne Moors

The commonest public access point is via the public footpath past the former Moorends Colliery site. Even before entering the site proper this area has been known to attract Northern Wheatears, Black Redstart and Great Grey Shrikes. To the south of the metal footbridge listen for Grasshopper warblers in season in the Bell's Pond area. Any of the paths to the north will eventually lead to the "limestone road", which borders a large area of lagoons where regrowth has taken place since 2001. This area is good for Hen Harriers (in winter) and Marsh Harriers and there can be large flocks of ducks, mainly Mallard and Teal, but also Shoveller, Widgeon, Pintail and occasionally others. The large gull roost is worth checking for rarities too. Along the road watch out for Whinchats and Stonechates

To the east the road leads to the wooded area known as Will Pits, which is the stronghold of the Nightingale population, and also a good spot for Lesser-spotted Woodpecker. Will Pitts Scrape to the south is a busy wildfowl area, look for White-fronted geese, and Black-necked Grebe in summer. Further south, Pony Bridge Marsh was where a pair of White-spotted Bluethroats nested in the 90's. Going further west is prime Nightjar territory, and there is also a chance of Long-eared Owls. Returning to the colliery area along the west edge of the moor is a good area for buntings, tits and warblers

Hatfield Moors

Some of the former sand and gravel workings have been landscaped and a chain of lakes created. The is good parking and several waymarked trails with 3 hides overlooking the lakes. Ten Acre Lake is the most mature, and holds more birds in the breeding season, while the other lakes are attracting good numbers of ducks, gulls and geese as winter roosts.

There are still very large areas of bare peat, as peat milling continued for some years after Thorne Moors. Natural England are also controlling some of the areas colonised by birch and attempting to diversify the habitat.

An annotated checklist has been created from the Hatfield Moors Bird Report 2002-2004, compiled by Simon Mitchell.

Checklist of birds recorded (also available as a download )

International English Name	Scientific Name	Thorne	Hatfield
Mute Swan	Cygnus olor	x	x
Tundra Swan	Cygnus columbianus	x	x
Whooper Swan	Cygnus cygnus	x	x
Bean Goose	Anser fabalis		x
Pink-footed Goose	Anser brachyrhynchus	x	x
Greater White-fronted Goose	Anser albifrons	x
Lesser White-fronted Goose	Anser erythropus	x	x
Greylag Goose	Anser anser	x	x
Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	x	x
Barnacle Goose	Branta leucopsis	x	x
Brant Goose	Branta bernicla	x	x
Egyptian Goose	Alopochen aegyptiaca		x
Ruddy Shelduck	Tadorna ferruginea	[x]
Common Shelduck	Tadorna tadorna	x	x
Mandarin Duck	Aix galericulata	x	x
Eurasian Wigeon	Anas penelope	x	x
Gadwall	Anas strepera	x	x
Eurasian Teal	Anas crecca	x	x
Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	x	x
Northern Pintail	Anas acuta	x	x
Garganey	Anas querquedula	x	x
Northern Shoveler	Anas clypeata	x	x
Red-crested Pochard	Netta rufina	x	x
Pochard	Aythya ferina	x	x
Tufted Duck	Aythya fuligula	x	x
Greater Scaup	Aythya marila	x	x
Common Eider	Somateria mollissima	x
Long-tailed Duck	Clangula hyemalis	x	x
Black Scoter	Melanitta nigra		x
Common Goldeneye	Bucephala clangula	x	x
Smew	Mergellus albellus	x	x
Red-breasted Merganser	Mergus serrator	x	x
Common Merganser	Mergus merganser	x	x
Ruddy Duck	Oxyura jamaicensis	x	x
Willow Ptarmigan	Lagopus lagopus		x
Black Grouse	Tetrao tetrix	x	x
Red-legged Partridge	Alectoris rufa	x	x
Grey Partridge	Perdix perdix	x	x
Common Quail	Coturnix coturnix	x	x
Common Pheasant	Phasianus colchicus	x	x
Black-Throated Loon	Gavia arctica		x
Little Grebe	Tachybaptus ruficollis	x	x
Great Crested Grebe	Podiceps cristatus	x	x
Red-necked Grebe	Podiceps grisegena		x
Horned Grebe	Podiceps auritus		x
Black-necked Grebe	Podiceps nigricollis	x	x
Northern Gannet	Morus bassanus	x	x
Great Cormorant	Phalacrocorax carbo	x	x
European Shag	Phalacrocorax aristotelis	x
Eurasian Bittern	Botaurus stellaris	x	x
Black-crowned Night Heron	Nycticorax nycticorax	x
Little Egret	Egretta garzetta	x	x
Grey Heron	Ardea cinerea	x	x
White Stork	Ciconia ciconia	x	x
Eurasian Spoonbill	Platalea leucorodia	x
European Honey-buzzard	Pernis apivorus	x	x
Black Kite	Milvus migrans	[x]
Red Kite	Milvus milvus	x	x
White-tailed Eagle	Haliaeetus albicilla	x	x
Western Marsh Harrier	Circus aeruginosus	x	x
Northern Harrier	Circus cyaneus	x	x
Montagu's Harrier	Circus pygargus	x	x
Northern Goshawk	Accipiter gentilis	x	x
Eurasian Sparrowhawk	Accipiter nisus	x	x
Common Buzzard	Buteo buteo	x	x
Roughleg	Buteo lagopus	x	x
Golden Eagle	Aquila chrysaetos		x
Osprey	Pandion haliaetus	x	x
Common Kestrel	Falco tinnunculus	x	x
Red-footed Falcon	Falco vespertinus	x
Merlin	Falco columbarius	x	x
Eurasian Hobby	Falco subbuteo	x	x
Gyrfalcon	Falco rusticolus	[x]	[x]
Peregrine Falcon	Falco peregrinus	x	x
Water Rail	Rallus aquaticus	x	x
Spotted Crake	Porzana porzana	x
Corn Crake	Crex crex	x	x
Common Moorhen	Gallinula chloropus	x	x
Common Coot	Fulica atra	x	x
Common Crane	Grus grus	x	x
Eurasian Oystercatcher	Haematopus ostralegus	x	x
Pied Avocet	Recurvirostra avosetta	x	x
Eurasian Stone-curlew	Burhinus oedicnemus	x
Little Ringed Plover	Charadrius dubius	x	x
Common Ringed Plover	Charadrius hiaticula	x	x
Killdeer	Charadrius vociferus	x
Eurasian Dotterel	Charadrius morinellus	x
European Golden Plover	Pluvialis apricaria	x	x
Grey Plover	Pluvialis squatarola	x	x
Northern Lapwing	Vanellus vanellus	x	x
Red Knot	Calidris canutus	x
Sanderling	Calidris alba	x
Little Stint	Calidris minuta	x	x
Temminck's Stint	Calidris temminckii	x
White-rumped Sandpiper	Calidris fuscicollis	x
Pectoral Sandpiper	Calidris melanotos	x	x
Curlew Sandpiper	Calidris ferruginea	x	x
Purple Sandpiper	Calidris maritima	x
Dunlin	Calidris alpina	x	x
Ruff	Philomachus pugnax	x	x
Jack Snipe	Lymnocryptes minimus	x	x
Common Snipe	Gallinago gallinago	x	x
Eurasian Woodcock	Scolopax rusticola	x	x
Black-tailed Godwit	Limosa limosa	x	x
Bar-tailed Godwit	Limosa lapponica	x	x
Whimbrel	Numenius phaeopus	x	x
Eurasian Curlew	Numenius arquata	x	x
Common Sandpiper	Actitis hypoleucos	x	x
Green Sandpiper	Tringa ochropus	x	x
Spotted Redshank	Tringa erythropus	x	x
Common Greenshank	Tringa nebularia	x	x
Lesser Yellowlegs	Tringa flavipes	x
Wood Sandpiper	Tringa glareola	x	x
Common Redshank	Tringa totanus	x	x
Ruddy Turnstone	Arenaria interpres	x	x
Parasitic Jaeger	Stercorarius parasiticus	x	x
Mediterranean Gull	Larus melanocephalus	x	x
Mew Gull	Larus canus	x	x
Lesser Black-backed Gull	Larus fuscus	x	x
Glaucous Gull	Larus hyperboreus	x
Iceland Gull	Larus glaucoides	x	x
Yellow-legged Gull	Larus michalhellis	x	x
Herring Gull	Larus argentatus	x	x
Great Black-backed Gull	Larus marinus	x	x
Little Gull	Hydrocoleus minutus	x	x
Common Black-headed Gull	Chroicocephalus ridibundus	x	x
Black-Legged Kittiwake	Rissa tridactyla	x
Little Tern	Sternula albifrons	x	x
Caspian Tern	Hydroprogne caspia	x
Black Tern	Chlidonias niger	x	x
Sandwich Tern	Sterna sandvicensis	x	x
Common Tern	Sterna hirundo	x	x
Arctic Tern	Sterna paradisaea	x	x
Atlantic Puffin	Fratercula arctica	x
Pallas`s Sandgrouse	Syrrhaptes paradoxus	[x]
Common Pigeon	Columba livia	x	x
Stock Dove	Columba oenas	x	x
Common Wood Pigeon	Columba palumbus	x	x
Eurasian Collared Dove	Streptopelia decaocto	x	x
European Turtle Dove	Streptopelia turtur	x	x
Rose-ringed Parakeet	Psittacula krameri		x
Common Cuckoo	Cuculus canorus	x	x
Barn Owl	Tyto alba	x	x
Little Owl	Athene noctua	x	x
Tawny Owl	Strix aluco	x	x
Long-eared Owl	Asio otus	x	x
Short-eared Owl	Asio flammeus	x	x
European Nightjar	Caprimulgus europaeus	x	x
Common Swift	Apus apus	x	x
Common Kingfisher	Alcedo atthis	x	x
Eurasian Hoopoe	Upupa epops	x	x
Eurasian Wryneck	Jynx torquilla	x
European Green Woodpecker	Picus viridis	x	x
Great-Spotted Woodpecker	Dendrocopos major	x	x
Lesser-Spotted Woodpecker	Dendrocopos minor	x	x
Wood Lark	Lullula arborea	x	x
Sky Lark	Alauda arvensis	x	x
Sand Martin	Riparia riparia	x	x
Barn Swallow	Hirundo rustica	x	x
Common House Martin	Delichon urbicum	x	x
Richard's Pipit	Anthus richardii	x
Tree Pipit	Anthus trivialis	x	x
Meadow Pipit	Anthus pratensis	x	x
Red-throated Pipit	Anthus cervinus		x
Eurasian Rock Pipit	Anthus petrosus	x	x
Water Pipit	Anthus spinoletta		x
Yellow Wagtail	Motacilla flava	x	x
Grey Wagtail	Motacilla cinerea	x	x
White Wagtail	Motacilla alba	x	x
Bohemian Waxwing	Bombycilla garrulus	x	x
Winter Wren	Troglodytes troglodytes	x	x
Dunnock	Prunella modularis	x	x
European Robin	Erithacus rubecula	x	x
Common Nightingale	Luscinia megarhynchos	x	x
Bluethroat	Luscinia svecica	x
Black Redstart	Phoenicurus ochruros	x	x
Common Redstart	Phoenicurus phoenicurus	x	x
Whinchat	Saxicola rubetra	x	x
Eurasian Stonechat	Saxicola torquatus	x	x
Northern Wheatear	Oenanthe oenanthe	x	x
Ring Ouzel	Turdus torquatus	x	x
Common Blackbird	Turdus merula	x	x
Fieldfare	Turdus pilaris	x	x
Song Thrush	Turdus philomelos	x	x
Redwing	Turdus iliacus	x	x
Mistle Thrush	Turdus viscivorus	x	x
Common Grasshopper Warbler	Locustella naevia	x	x
Sedge Warbler	Acrocephalus schoenobaenus	x	x
Reed Warbler	Acrocephalus scirpaceus	x	x
Blackcap	Sylvia atricapilla	x	x
Garden Warbler	Sylvia borin	x	x
Lesser Whitethroat	Sylvia curruca	x	x
Common Whitethroat	Sylvia communis	x	x
Yellow-browed Warbler	Phylloscopus inornatus	x	x
Wood Warbler	Phylloscopus sibilatrix	x	x
Chiffchaff	Phylloscopus collybita	x	x
Willow Warbler	Phylloscopus trochilus	x	x
Goldcrest	Regulus regulus	x	x
Firecrest	Regulus ignicapilla	x
Spotted Flycatcher	Muscicapa striata	x	x
Eurasian Pied Flycatcher	Ficedula hypoleuca	x	x
Bearded Reedling	Panurus biarmicus	x	x
Long-tailed Bushtit	Aegithalos caudatus	x	x
Blue Tit	Cyanistes caeruleus	x	x
Great Tit	Parus major	x	x
Coal Tit	Periparus ater	x	x
Willow Tit	Poecile montana	x	x
Eurasian Nuthatch	Sitta europaea		x
Eurasian Treecreeper	Certhia familiaris	x	x
Eurasian Golden Oriole	Oriolus oriolus	x
Red-backed Shrike	Lanius collurio	x
Great Grey Shrike	Lanius excubitor	x	x
Eurasian Jay	Garrulus glandarius	x	x
Eurasian Magpie	Pica pica	x	x
Western Jackdaw	Corvus monedula	x	x
Rook	Corvus frugilegus	x	x
Carrion Crow	Corvus corone	x	x
Hooded Crow	Corvus cornix	x
Common Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	x	x
House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	x	x
Eurasian Tree Sparrow	Passer montanus	x	x
Chaffinch	Fringilla coelebs	x	x
Brambling	Fringilla montifringilla	x	x
European Greenfinch	Carduelis chloris	x	x
European Goldfinch	Carduelis carduelis	x	x
Eurasian Siskin	Carduelis spinus	x	x
Common Linnet	Carduelis cannabina	x	x
Twite	Carduelis flavirostris	x	x
Common Redpoll	Carduelis flammea	x	x
Lesser Redpoll	Carduelis cabaret	x	x
Arctic Redpoll	Carduelis hornemanni	x	x
Red Crossbill	Loxia curvirostra	x	x
Eurasian Bullfinch	Pyrrhula pyrrhula	x	x
Hawfinch	Coccothraustes coccothraustes	x
Lapland Longspur	Calcarius lapponicus	x	x
Snow Bunting	Plectrophenax nivalis	x	x
Yellowhammer	Emberiza citrinella	x	x
Common Reed Bunting	Emberiza schoeniclus	x	x
Corn Bunting	Emberiza calandra	x	x
		Thorne	Hatfield
No. of Species		223	207
No. of unconfirmed Species [x]		4	1
Total No. of Species		227	208

Nomenclature and order follow "Birds of yhr World - Recommended English Names " by Gill & Wright (2006)  available at http://www.bou.org.uk/BOURC%20English%20names.xls    [Accessed 16th February 2009].

Includes all records to 2003 (Thorne Moor) or 2004 (Hatfield Moor)

The following are recommended reading
Limbert, M., Mitchell, R. D. & Rhodes, R. J. (1986) Thorne Moors: Birds and Man. DDOS, Doncaster.
Limbert, M. (1990) A supplement to Thorne Moors: Birds and Man. Nature Conservancy Council, Wakefield.
Bryan Wainwright's Birding Site Guide

You can return to the home page by clicking on this image wherever you see it in the website.