Strid Wood

SE 065565

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Specialities
Dipper
Sand Martin  
Grey Wagtail
Goosander 
Mandarin Duck  
Pied Flycatcher 
Spotted Flycatcher
Wood Warbler  
Redstart 
Buzzard 
Kingfisher 
Green Woodpecker  
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Nuthatch
Jay
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Strid Wood is in fact two quite narrow strips of broadleaved woodland, separated by the River Wharfe, with a total area of 58.91 hectares. The wood starts from the Cavendish Pavilion and stretches for a mile in a NW direction. The whole Wood was designated an SSSI in December 1985, as the largest acidic oak woodland in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Srid Wood is part of the Bolton Abbey Estate, and its management has three strands: firstly it is managed as an amenity for the pleasure of thousands of visitors who flock there each year; secondly it is very much a working wood expected to contribute to the revenue of the Estate. Thirdly its SSSI status places obligations and constraints on the management in that only a very limited number of operations are permitted. Long term and detailed monitoring of the broadleaved tree stock ensures that the Wood as a whole maintains a normal profile in terms of variety and age of tree species – clearly of great importance to the breeding birds, particularly the hole nesters.

Pride of place in the hole-nesting ‘brigade’ goes to the Pied Flycatcher and Redstart although Blue Tit, Great Tit and nuthatch all compete for the smaller holes, whilst larger birds like Tawny Owl, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jackdaw and Starling are well represented.

Breeding birds at Strid Woods and along the River Wharfe include:
Mallard, Sparrow Hawk, Pheasant, Woodcock, Wood Pigeon, Tawny Owl, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Redstart, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Wood Warbler, Chiffchaff, Willow warbler, Goldcrest, Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tit, Coal tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Jay, Jackdaw, Starling, Chaffinch, Goosander, Moorhen, Common Sandpiper, Grey wagtail, Dipper. A total of 38.

 

 

 

Notable Sightings - 2003
3rd January 2003 20 Mandarin Ducks. Sightings here rapidly tailed off with no birds seen during the next two months, however, a pair seen during April raised hopes for breeding. There were two records of females with young, both with one juvenile and on the River Wharfe. One of these sightings was on 6th June at the Strid and the other at Drebley on 15th June, so it is possible they were the same mother and young.
Spring 2003 Up to ten Wood Warblers singing in the woodland, and it is highly likely this species bred there.
 
Notable Sightings - 2004
20th April 2004 Male Redstart. This site is one of the strongholds, and a copious amount of records came from this general area. Many pairs are likely to have bred here but only evidence for two pairs was forthcoming, including a pair with young at Drebley.
May 2004 Up 6 singing male Wood Warblers
May 2004 Adult Pied Flycatchers noted feeding young in many baoxes.
31st December 2004 45 Mandarin ducks (20 females and 25 males).
Notable Sightings - 2005
23rd January 2005 30 Chaffinch flying to roost.
1st February 2005 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.  
The record number of Mandarin Ducks seen in Strid Wood towards the end of 2004 was quickly surpassed by a count of 39 there on New Year’s Day (JF). However, the new record lasted only sixteen days, as an increased count of 41 was made at this location on 17th January (JLT).
23rd January 2005 217 Mallard (maximum for period).
4th February 2005 Mating Moorhen, but the first young were not seen until 21st May.
19th April 2005 A single Marsh Tit.
29th April 2005 First Wood Warbler reported. No more than four birds could be found during the season, compared with, for example, as many as eighteen there on a single day in May 2002.
May 2005 Up to six Blackcap reported.
May 2005 Six Nuthatch.
June 2005 24 Pied Flycatchers ringed from 10 nests.