Paull Holme Strays Nature Reserve
Location
OS Map Reference
TA 180 247
Know before you go
Dogs
When to visit
Opening times
Open at all times.Best time to visit
December to MarchHabitat
About
To see Paull Holme Strays at its most spectacular a visit during the winter months is a must.
Thousands of wintering waders use the site to feed and roost and this large gathering entices predators including peregrine and merlin. Many an hour can be passed watching the shimmering flocks of knot and golden plover swirling around. Other waders at this time include black and bar-tailed godwits, redshank, dunlin, lapwing and curlew. The surrounding ditches, grassland and farmland provide winter hunting grounds for short-eared owl, hen and marsh harriers along with regular sightings of roe deer, brown hare and stoat.
Time your visit a couple of hours before a large incoming tide and the wader spectacle can be simply stunning.
The summer is a quieter time for the site but still produces some great wildlife encounters. Water voles are present in the freshwater habitats along with a variety of dragon and damselflies, including common darter, broad-bodied and four-spotted chasers, migrant hawker and small red-eyed damselfly. The song of skylark is ever present along with little egret feeding on the fringes and the striking yellow wagtail along the banks.
Seasonal highlights
- Spring: Birds - Cuckoo; Yellow wagtail; Sedge warbler; Reed warbler
- Summer: Invertebrates - Dragonflies; Birds - Marsh harrier; Spotted redshank; Little stint; Curlew
- Autumn: Birds - Avocet; Green sandpiper; Common sandpiper; Whimbrel
- Winter: Birds - Merlin; Dunlin; Redshank; Bar-tailed godwit; Golden plover
History
Paull Holme Strays was the first major managed realignment scheme on the River Humber and was breached by the Environment Agency in 2003. The site provides approximately 80 ha of inter-tidal habitat to compensate for the loss of saltmarsh and mudflats in the area, and is fronted by the extensive Paull Holme Sands.
Directions
Public transport
Bus service from Hull to Paull village.
By car
From the A1033 follow the signs for Fort Paull and then head south on Thorngumbald Road. The entrance to the car park is on the right just less than a mile after the entrance to Fort Paull.
