Dawson City Claypits
Parish: Goxhill
OS: 113 • GR: TA 130253 • Map ref: 76
16.00 hectares (39.60acres) • Freehold 1986
Habitat type: Grassland
Part gift of Mr JFD Hargreaves
Location and Access
The reserve is situated north-east of Goxhill adjoining the River Humber. Cars may be parked at Goxhill Haven. Walk along the Humber Bank eastwards for about 1 km (0.6 miles). The reserve is the second pit on the right and extends to the foreshore at Skitter Ness, which is part of the Humber Bank SSSI. The entrance is by the stile at the north-west corner. A hide has been constructed for visitors' use and is located along the waymarked route between the two pits. Visitors are requested to proceed quietly in order not to disturb the birds and other wildlife.
Description and Management
The reserve consists of two disused clay pits with associated reedbeds and adjoining scrub and pasture. The pits are particularly important for a wide range of birds, not only as a breeding site but also as a migration staging post. There are 108 species of birds recorded on the reserve with over 20 species breeding, including reed and sedge warblers, water rail, garganey and, in the past, bittern. Snipe are regular visitors. Migrant waders include green and wood sandpipers, redshank, greenshank and ruff. Numbers of surface-feeding ducks, such as shoveler, teal and mallard, are at their greatest in late winter and early spring. Vagrants have included spoonbill, green-winged teal, Bewick's swan, little bittern, red-crested pochard and pectoral sandpiper.
A 9-hectare (23-acre) block of old pasture was added to the reserve in 1991. This is a good area for curlew, the numbers of which in winter are often in excess of 200, and for other waders, especially when the fields are flooded in winter. The reserve extends to part of the foreshore, from where both passage and wintering waders may be seen.
Management consists of grazing and occasional hay-cutting of the pasture. Fencing has been erected and trees and shrubs planted to screen the hide.
