SK58 Birders, Once Upon A Time....

Are you sitting comfortably- then I shall begin.... Way back in 1995 we heard that the old pit top at North Anston was to be landscaped in line with the then governments Coal Board Regeneration scheme. As a group we were keen to be involved and have an input in the development of the site which would hopefully include some provision for birds and birders. Several members had intensively watched the site for several years and recorded some good birds. 

Original plans- c1998

Over the next eight years plans were drawn up, including the design of a wader scrape by the group, with landscaping started, including the removal of many tons of contaminated waste from the old colliery site and completed in 2005, which included a state of the art hide overlooking the scrape a cost of £10,000, which was again an idea of the SK58 Birders.

Digging out the wader scrape- March 2003

Our initial concerns grew when we saw the scrape going in. The plans the group had drawn up including levels had been completely ignored. The scrape was constructed by two blokes and a JCB. It wasn't to size and wasn't to specification. To top it all it wasn't even level so when it rained the water would flow out of the bottom so it would never fill. To cut a very long and tedious/ frustrating story short- For the past seven years we have fought with the developers, who have long since gone, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC) who signed off the site as "fit for purpose" and the Forestry Commission (FC), who's original management team were completely unsympathetic. Over the past seven years we've fought hard to get the scrape re-contoured, widened and deepened so it in someway matched our original plans. 

Creating path & scrape- March 2004

Because the scrape wasn't built to specification, i.e. too shallow,  it has never held water- even when full over the winter, by late spring it had completely dried out due to evaporation which meant there was never any water in the scrape to attract late summer/ autumn waders on passage which has proved very frustrating. Also the lack of water and a few other contributing factors meant that Little Ringed Plover failed for four consecutive years to raise any young. The scrape also failed to consistently attract Redshank, a previous annual breeder. 

March 2004

June 2004

With a complete failure of the scrape to perform and a lack of useful dialogue with the management team we really did feel like throwing in the towel and turning our back on the site- But there was a management change at the FC and things progressed.  We did get RMBC and the FC on site and the remedial work took place. We are sure the scrape will now hold water, being deeper and wider, but a succession of dry winters have failed to fill the scrape to the maximum, which again meant the scrape was a dust bowl by May for the past two years. 

Site of hide- 2005

Our latest plan was to pump water in the scrape to top/fill it up. This has been quite exhaustive involving Natural England (because of the Water Voles/ Newts), the Environment Agency (extracting water from water courses), Forestry Commission (site managers) and ourselves. It's taken about two years of negotiations to finally get a pump on site before the end of February deadline- unfortunately the FC had all sorts of problems. On only two days pumping they failed to meet the daily extraction allowance at a cost of £1300, which has resulted in little difference to the levels. SK58's plan is to now purchase a pump, dig a channel for a permanent pipe and fill the scrape ourselves during the autumn and winter. So having missed our window this winter, or unless we experience a wet late winter/ spring/ summer (unlikely given the almost drought like levels of rainfall), another year will lapse before we can try and rectify the water levels and attract waders.

Not so full scrape

It's unlikely structural work will ever take place again to completely re-engineer the scrape, given the current financial situation so the best solution pound for pound is to pump water as and when required outside the breeding season. SK58 Birders will continue to do what we think is best for the site and the wildlife and work with the management team at the Forestry Commission, who's new team have performed valiantly to try and make the site attractive for wildlife, having picked up the gauntlet and  attempt to make a silk purse out of sows ear and listened to what SK58 Birders have said and tried to accommodate our plans for the site.

Temporarily full scrape-how it should be

Regular housekeeping does take place, grass cutting, tree planting etc... The hide was repainted at the weekend at SK58's behest and regular onsite meetings do take place on site between SK58 Birders and the Forestry Commission.

Repainted hide- Feb 2012

SK58 Birders regularly visit the site and warden the hide on Saturday mornings between March and October from 08:00- 11:00. We also have events here, such as a "Big Sit", where we warden the hide from dawn until dusk, this recorded 56 and 53 species from the hide in one day in the two years the event took place.

ADH Big Sit, yes that's Sit!- May 2005

Despite it being seventeen years of what has been a very uphill struggle there is light at the end of the tunnel. SK58 Birders are committed to receiving what we were promised way back in 1995, namely a wader scrape where wildlife, especially passage and breeding waders can, feed, breed and rest whilst providing viewing/ educational  opportunities for members of SK58 Birders, the local community and visiting birders.

Wader scrape at sunset