How to get there
OverviewSituated to the NW of Sheffield between Grenoside, Oughtibridge and Deepcar, the Wharncliffe area (site map) is an extensive area of mixed woodland, sheep farmland and heath on the eastern slopes of the Upper Don Valley. Wharncliffe Wood, owned and managed by the Forestry Commission, contains plantations of pine and larch as well as extensive areas of broadleaved woodland, with different areas dominated by oak, beech or birch. The long term management plan seems to be to replace the conifers with native deciduous trees. Wharncliffe Chase is an area of rough sheep pasture (formerly a deer park) with areas of birch scrub, stands of mature trees and large areas of bracken that is bordered on its western and southern sides by Wharncliffe Wood. Wharncliffe Heath is owned by the Forestry Commission and managed as a nature reserve by a partnership between the Forestry Commission and the Wharncliffe Heathlands Trust. It is an area of dry heathland, once part of a much larger heathland area which now forms part of Wharncliffe Wood. The habitat is managed with grazing and manual extraction of birch and bracken and is surrounded by mature mixed woodland, with the line of Wharncliffe Crags forming the western boundary.
FacilitiesThere are no visitor facilities as such, other than a large car park and some interpretive materials at Wheata Wood on the Woodhead Road north of Grenoside. Parts of the Wood are criss-crossed by dedicated mountain bike trails which it can be unwise to walk along once the downhill bikers are out – clear signage warns you if you happen to stray onto such trails. There are also some interpretive materials at Wharncliffe Heath. Other than on the well maintained main tracks through the Wood the walking is generally fairly rough.
Likely speciesThere is much ground to cover here and the varying habitats can produce a large variety of different species.
Wharncliffe Wood The wide variety of tree species present and varying ages of stands mean a good mix of woodland birds can be found, though in such a large area some species can take a lot of tracking down. The area is best visited during spring and summer, and the usual common woodland birds can be found throughout, while the pine and larch plantations hold Coal Tit and Goldcrest as well Siskin, which are especially numerous during spring, though some stay on to breed.
Wood Warbler breeds in variable numbers, often in areas of pine or larch intermixed with oak and beech, and Spotted Flycatcher can be found in areas of older pines as well as in the mature deciduous woodland around the Wheata Wood car park. A few pairs of Redstart breed, often in the vicinity of the crags, and Tree Pipits sing from the woodland edges and clearfells. Blackcap and Garden Warbler are common in suitable areas and Nuthatch can be found in areas of mature broadleaf, with Great Spotted Woodpecker and Treecreeper common throughout. The other two woodpeckers are also present in small numbers, with Wheata Wood the best area for both species, though Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is more of a challenge to locate than Green Woodpecker.
Several pairs of Sparrowhawk breed, and Common Buzzard and Raven have moved into the area in recent years. A nocturnal visit will yield roding Woodcock as well as Tawny Owl and the possibility of Nightjar hawking the clearfells.
In the winter the woods can seem quiet, though Siskin and Brambling can be found depending on the year's larch or beech crop, Lesser Redpolls may be present with the Siskin flocks and typically unpredictable Crossbills are sometimes present in small numbers at various times of the year.
At the few places where the River Don is accessible from the wood Dipper, Grey Wagtail and Kingfisher can be found, while Goosander have bred on this stretch in the past.
Wharncliffe Chase At its best in spring though with something to offer at any time of year, Wharncliffe Chase holds large numbers of Meadow Pipit, Skylark and Linnet with other farmland species including Grey and Red-legged Partridge and Yellowhammer. Reed Bunting can be found in the extensive areas of Juncus and Stonechat is an increasingly seen winter and passage visitor and occasionally breeds. Lapwing and Curlew breed in small numbers, as do Snipe which also winter in the wetter areas.
Green Woodpeckers breed in the surrounding woods or stands of trees and are regularly seen and heard on the Chase, while Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and, increasingly, Common Buzzard may be encountered. The crags at Wharncliffe Farm provide an excellent vantage point over the Upper Don and Ewden valleys and make an excellent spot to scan for passage raptors, with Hobby, Marsh Harrier, Red Kite and Osprey having been seen in the area in recent years.
Wheatear is regular on passage and migrant breeders include Redstart, Tree Pipit, Cuckoo and occasional Grasshopper Warbler. During the winter and passage periods large flocks of Fieldfare and Redwing can be found feeding on the pasture, and Short-eared Owl is not unheard of.
Wharncliffe Heath This is the most regular and reliable site for Nightjar in the Sheffield area, and up to three churring males have been present in recent years. By selecting a calm, warm summer evening and being in position (usually along the footpath that runs through the centre of the reserve area) at dusk you will generally be treated to the bizarre churring song of the male and, if you are lucky, views of birds hawking moths or displaying with wing claps and frog-like calls over the heath. The birds often chur from perches on rocks or birch trees, so careful scanning while the song is audible may produce a sighting, while the pauses in the song often see the birds in flight between perches.
In addition to the Nightjars a dusk visit will almost certainly produce calling Tawny Owl and sightings of roding Woodcock, while a daytime visitor may encounter Tree Pipit, Linnet, Cuckoo and Green Woodpecker.
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