BARBONDALE
Classic oak woodland species on the edge of the fells
Barbon is a small village on the back road between Sedburgh and Kirby Longsdale, and its valley and beck has played host to a ringing station for woodland birds for a number of years. It is a great place to get away from the crowds of the Lake District and do some quiet birding.
WHERE TO WATCH
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I started my walk in the village of Barbon, following a public footpath up the Barbon Beck. To start the habitat was parkland with feeding Jackdaws, Starlings and a single Kestrel, probably nesting in one of the park trees. 2
Entering Barbon Manor grounds, there was a lot of clear-felling of the woodland, which seemed to have been mainly Douglas Fir. The new open ground will soon be covered with bramble and thicket, so species such as Garden Warbler, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Wren and Robin will adapt to take over here. 3
Mature oaks soon come into view, and with a nestbox scheme in the area there should be a number of Pied Flycatchers and Redstarts in spring and summer. The occasional Wood Warbler has been found here, but numbers seem to be dropping, with birds breeding further north. Listen out for woodpeckers, with both Great Spotted and Green here. provide potential habitat for Whinchat and Stonechat. Tree Pipits are replaced by Meadow Pipits in the grassland areas, with Sky Larks singing high on the fell. The beck is home to Dipper and Grey Wagtail, and in the open areas in Barbondale, Common Sandpiper can be found in spring and summer. An area of old Alder on the floodplain looks interesting for hole-nesters like Stock Dove and Goosander.
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I walked back to Barbon by the minor road which crosses to Hawes, to give views over Thorn Moor and Barbon Low Fell. Cuckoos were active calling and flying across the valley, and the open vista allowed scans for raptors – on my visit Buzzard, Kestrel and Sparrowhawk, but I’m sure both Peregrine and Red Kite are possible.