YWT Burton Riggs - 5 May 2013

Following a lovely walk round Filey Dams in the morning we headed up to Scarborough to Burton Riggs, near Eastfield. Formed when gravel was dug to create the A64, the two lakes, grassland and woodland are a peaceful spot against a backdrop of housing and industrial estates on the edge of Scarborough. The occasional passing train and the hum from the A64 is soon hidden by the breeze rustling in the Willows around the lakes and the songs of Garden Warblers, Blackcaps and Willow Warblers.

The reserve is dead easy to find being just across the A64 roundabout from Morrisons and the Scarborough Building Society office. Like any green space close to urban areas, Burton Riggs does suffer a little from vandalism and misuse. Sadly most structures that have been put up have been destroyed. The new car park funded by Rees Jeffreys Road Fund is excellent, being close to the road, very open and visible and we felt reasonably safe parking there.

It is a short walk down the path through a scrubby area where Orange-tip butterflies flitted and Whitethroats sang their scratchy verses. We had an enjoyable walk around the smaller of the two lakes, where a gang of Tufted Ducks were resting along with a pair of Great Crested Grebes. Little of note was present on the larger lake apart from the local Greylag and Canada Geese- this place is apparently much better in the winter months for wildfowl. We did see a fine Buzzard overhead and snapped some of the Red Campion flowering on a bank (see photo below). We found the surfaced tracks easy to get around and the views over the lakes really nice. The place was being enjoyed by plenty of local people. It is a shame that the minority are causing so much trouble here and spoiling what is a lovely spot in an urban area.