Wildlife Field Visit group's blog

Sunnydale - The Safe Way Back To The Buswhat a surprising place!

Some of the quotes from our group:

"It puts a new dimension on Tuesdays" - Joan

"It's muddy" - Lorna

"Lorna's leap" - John

"If we can do that we can do anything" - Janet

"A day full of twists and turns" - Margaret

"All's well that ends well" - Joan

St George's MushroomWhat have we been upto? We walked in the delightful valley of Sunnydale near East Morton on a cold day in May. The countryside was superb with over 42 flower species identified as well as 32 birds (considering our regular bird recorders weren't present this was an excellent result). However there were one or two obstacles to overcome. The water level was high and produced scenic waterfalls. It also made beck crossing treacherous and difficult. Lorna had the unfortunate experience of slipping on a stone when crossing a beck and getting a soaking which she bravely dismissed. Pink BluebellsOur return to the minibus was thwarted when we encountered a swollen beck. Martin "the new boy" led us back having found an alternative route. The cattle had also left us the challenge of very muddy paths to negotiate. There was a further twist to the tale when on arriving at East Riddlesden Hall, Maddy announced that she thought she had left her bag containing her most important wordly possessions on our path. ( She later remembered that she had transferred these items into her pockets!). Thankfully the day ended with a cuppa in the tea room of East Riddlesden Hall where we had spent the remainder of the afternoon exploring the gardens, including herb garden, house and riverside walk. 13 peope enjoyed our trip today. There was a wealth of plants to be seen en route. Violets were still in flower as well as woodland species such as wood sorrel. Marsh marigold shone through the wetland area. The patches of giant and field horestail were extensive.The variety of bird life was impressive ranging from the little wren (seen on the grass at E Riddlesden Hall) to the red kite seen gliding over the moors. Species seen included several mistle thrush, dipper and bullfinch. East Riddlesden HallChiffchaff and willow warbler had arrived from Africa and were heard. Also the distinctive calls of oystercatcher and curlew returning to the moors from our estuaries. A toad was seen grabbling with the muddy conditions. An insight into the industrial archaeology of the area was offered by Veronica. This was an enjoyable day out in all respects. It was great to think we could see such varied wildlife a short distance from "home". Thanks go to Joan and Janet.

Margaret

The FollyDonald and myself led the group of 8 which would have been 9 if Margaret hadn't got her dates confused! Three group members who had booked to go had to withdraw owing to illness. Despite the poor weather throughout most of the past month we were once again lucky with our lot and we saw plenty of sunshine during the day although it remained too cold for any butterflies or day-flying moths. One high-flying large red damselfly was however spotted. The group were repeating a visit made in May last year but this time varied it by taking in more of the riverside, omitting the path to the fountain but including The Ruin and Lover's Leap. Conditions were muddy underfoot and walking sticks were particularly useful. During our riparian lunch (sandwiches on the beach) we enjoyed seeing up to 3 sandpipers flying up and down the river and displaying on the rocks. A grey wagtail was also present.Lunch On The Beach Altogether up to 18 birds were seen and on the path from the car park we heard blackcaps, chiff chaff and song thrush. The woodland plants were of course a delight with carpets of bluebells, anemones and stitchwort. Memorable plants included woodruff, sanicle and hairy st johns wortWood Sorrel (none of which were yet in flower), alternate-leaved golden saxifrage marsh marigold, moschatel and toothwort to which I have given the award of plant of the day; well I had never seen it before! This small patch was superbly spotted by Joan as most of the stems were obscured behind a tree. The woodland had also a rich variety of ferns, which several members of the group were able to identify. The day however was not too cold for a tiny species of pesky fly, which abounded in the car park, a good number of which took it upon themselves to travel back with us in the minibus!

John Gavaghan

Lakeside Rocks8 people travelling by minibus met 3 car travellers for this weeks trip to Plumpton Rocks. Most of us were clad in waterproofs as there had been heavy rain en route and we were prepared for a soaking. Fortunately it was dry when we arrived but it was very cold and blustery. The morning was spent exploring Plumpton Rocks, originally a man made lake but very beautiful being skirted on one side by woodland with a fantastic display of bluebells and on the other side by dramatic rocks. One of the conifers had numerous flies clinging to the lower trunk. A treecreeper was seen on a tree in the car park. On the lake canada geese were nesting and a mandarin duck flew in and disappeared out of view. Three buzzards soared high above the lake. Other birding highlights included the first swift of the year, green woodpecker, black cap, red kite and grey wagtail. The total bird count was 41. It was amazing to see large trees growing on the rocks, some of them with large exposed tangled roots. After lunching at Plumpton Rocks we regrouped in the car park and following a brief trip out for a toilet break we set off on our 3 mile walk on field paths. We saw lots of pigs of various sizes. The little ones were very lively. The largest one gave some cause for concern as it seemed to be stuck in the mud and unable to stand on its back legs but on the return path we were relieved to see the same pig safely tucked up in his shelter. Botanical highlights included the bluebells, yellow pimpernel,Inkcaps?Female Orange Tipyellow archangel and sandwort. There was quite a swathe of yellow archangel and it looked so pretty where it intermingled with the bluebells. 85 plants in flower were recorded. A solitary butterfly, a female orange tip was seen. A few fungi were seen including jelly ear, and possibly some type of inkcap. Just as we were on the home stretch light rain started and as we drove back the rain became heavy once again. We felt that we had been so lucky with the weather. It was a lovely day out and we were grateful to Brian and Marilyn for leading the trip.

Sue

CathedralToday's walk was of historical interest. We walked a path that in medieval times delineated the area within which people were immune from civil law but could be subject to a much harsher ecclesiastical law. From the Cathedral steps we followed a path alongside the River Skell which joined the River Ure. Spring has arrived and was evidenced by the flowers and birds seen on our route. Joan and Alice and their followers recorded a total of 100 species in flower and 3 ferns. Notable species seen included few flowered leek, corn salad, rue leaved saxifrage, toothwort, greater stitchwort, marsh marigold, wintercress, bush and common vetch and hogweed. The bird list of 32 species included recent arrivals, chiffchaff, blackcap, willow warbler, linnet as well as resident dipper, grey wagtail, song thrush and sky lark.The birds were carrying nesting material.Some mallard chicks were seen. 4 butterfly species including orange tip, small tortoiseshell and green veined white were recorded. Few Flowered Leek Lunch was taken near Hewick Bridge where the first sanctuary marker was located. Our path ran alongside fields and then down a green lane where the flowers which included woodland species dogs mercury and lords and ladies ( the sweet violets were lovely to see earlier) were thriving enjoying a relatively sheltered position. Views of Ripon Cathedral were enjoyed before reaching Sharrow Cross the only original sanctuary cross where a short breather was taken before hitting the homeward track under the by pass, past the clock tower and back to the Cathedral car park. 17 people enjoyed the 4.5 mile walk in cloudy but fine conditions.

Margaret

Shibden ValleyQueensbury – altitude 1200 ft; weather forecast - showers and longer outbreaks of rain clearing in the afternoon. Who in their right mind would decide to do a walk in this location when they could quite easily tuck themselves up at home?? Well, there were a few who decided to do just that but eight foolhardly folk turned up at Queensbury Golf Club at 10.00am to join Brian and Eric who had organised today’s walk. We set off in pouring rain wondering why we had bothered and the best part of six hours and five miles later we were back enthusing about what a good day it had been. The early rain cleared about half an hour into the walk and the weather gradually improved to give superb long distance views as we reached the higher ground and apart from a heavy shower just as we stopped for lunch we enjoyed good weather with good sunny intervals as we descended into and out of the Shibden Valley. View EastThe views extended from Ogden, Stoodley Pike, over Halifax, the Pennine chain, Holme Moss, Emley Moor, Ferrybridge and Eggborough power stations and all points in between. Spring was in the air in the form of swallows, chiffchaffs, a skylark, our first willow warblers of the year, green woodpeckers yaffling and great spotted woodpeckers drumming together with 17 other bird species and a small tortoisehell butterfly. On the ground grasses were showing their Spring growth and other early plants were flowering – lots of bilberry and opposite-leaved golden saxifrage joined bluebell, wood anemone, wood sorrel, shining cranesbill, yellow archangel, herb robert, our first meadow buttercup and early dog violet to bring colour to the scene. WoodrushWe also found flowering woodrush, scurvy grass and horsetail amongst a host of other plants pushing through the soil. An excellent walk with lots of interest in many forms. Many thanks to Brian who organised the day with Eric’s assistance and to the other eight members who supported them, all of whom were very pleased that they had made the effort.

Stuart

The CutThe themes for this walk were the geology of the Greenhow area and the birds of Gouthwaite reservoir in spring. There were numerous spring flowers seen 38 in number and 5 ferns. Andrew Sabin is the artist responsible for the design of the landscape sculpture 418m above sea level described it as a "streetscape with spiralling walkways" affording panoramic views of the working limestone quarry and Nidderdale landscape. Was the design inspired by Roman architecture or the pyramids of Egypt? The cold and windy conditions meant the group did not linger. On our descent we observed lapwings displaying in the fields. We went onto complete a circuit around Toft Gate lime kiln where we enjoyed lunch. Lime loving plants identified in flower were sweet cicely and whitlow grass.In the afternoon our party of 13 with the addition of Andrew and Lorna plus Scamp their 4 year old dog visited Gouthwaite reservoir. We were able to identify numerous wildfowl and waders from the viewing area on the side of the road. A mud bank was exposed and provided a good feeding ground for the waders.Species seen (total for the day 30) included shelduck, mallard, teal, moorhen, tufted duck, great crested grebe, canada goose, greylag goose, oyster catcher, blackheaded and greater black back gulls. I almost forgot to include sightings of swallows! We were on the lookout for raptors but none were seen.LambsWe proceeded to the far end of the lake. Our walk down the road demonstrated that flowers had benefited from the warmth and sunshine of an early spring. Significant species included primrose,dog violet( no sweet violet) wood sorrel, greater stitchwort, thale cress, barren strawberry, moschatel in flower. We completed our walk in cloudy mostly dry conditions. The threatened snow descended later in the evening when we were comfortably installed back at home.

Margaret

While the sun shone outside 14 of us gathered in the Unitarian Church Hall for a fascinating afternoon when we were shown images of the wild life of South Africa by June and Julia. June was keen to show us some images of cheetah and desert elephants that she had taken at close range on her trip to Nambia three years ago. Julia showed us a wealth of images of birds, mammals and flowers taken on a family trip to S.E Africa by her brother a South African resident. The trip had started in Johannesburg and had taken the tribe through the Drakensberg mountains to the Kruger National Park. The scenery of the Drakensberg which included basalt platforms and steep wooded slopes was spectacular. The wildlife of the Kruger including elephants, hippos, crocodiles, wilderbeast, several antelope species, lizards and numerous colourful bird species was breathtaking. We were fully absorbed. Alice gave a vote of thanks on behalf of the Bees group to June and Julia for entertaining us so well. Margaret

Redshank14 eager beavers were on the trip to Far Ings Nature Reserve led by Margaret. The weather was perfect with sunshine and light winds the order of the day.On arrival at the reserve one of the education officers gave us a warm welcome and information about what we might see. She also offered to open the shop especially for our group and I think we truly made it worth her while. We started our exploration of the reserve on the banks of the Humber estuary. Black-tailed godwit, curlew, dunlin and redshank were spotted here. A couple of oystercatchers were seen flying over. Would our bird count of 33 have been higher if our most expert birders had been present? The bittern proved to be elusive but we did see a sparrowhawk and kestrel. Paths skirted the numerous lakes and reedbeds and there were several hides including a two-storey hide.Dribbling Swan One overlooked a shallow pond with large numbers of frolicking frogs. Affection or aggression or maybe a bit of both? We also saw teal, goldeneye, cormorant, shovellers and great crested grebes and a swan on a nest. 13 flowering plants were noted including a lovely patch of coltsfoot on the edge of a lake. We set off back mid-afternoon and had a hassle free journey home on the M62. A lovely day.

Sue

Trio of Herons15 of us gathered on a fine clear day in February to enjoy our exploration of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. There have been visible improvements since our last visit in March 2009.We understood that considerable work had been undertaken by YSP in the woodland surrounding the Upper lake. Trees have been felled and the area cleared to provide vistas of the lake from the historic buildings such as the Greek temple. Furthermore the understorey had been exposed and leaves of plants not yet in flower were in evidence ie primrose and foxglove. The historic buildings such as the Boat House and Shell Grotto had benefited from restoration work. The excellent light conditions meant that we enjoyed good views of herons guarding their nests while others were seen flying too and fro from the heronary carrying nesting material. On the lake were a raft of tufted ducks and a flotilla of goosanders. A buzzard was seen and heard in the sky. Joan's party proceeded to walk along the shore of the Lower lake observing a second heronary. Amongst the birds seen in the woodland area were goldcrest, tree creeper, nuthatch and a variety of tits. On the lake were teal, pochard and a raft of gulls. Kingfisher was also seen. There were early signs of spring in the floral world. The snowdrops seen at the entrance of the Upper lake were attractive however the white butterbur was absent from its site near the Well. 5 foral species were identified in flower but alas no celandine. Considerable work was under way at the head of the Lower lake.The plan was to divert the River Dearne taking it underground to enable the weir to be reconstructed. On return to the centre tea was taken and the exhibitons and shop visited. It was an enjoyable day out for all the members of the group, some of whom had followed a different route around the park enjoying the sculptures as well as the wildlife. Best of all our boots were not encased in mud ! Margaret

LakeDonald led the group of 15 which included 3 new attendees; Mel, Montse & Jill

Despite the recent very cold weather we were once again lucky as the sun shone throughout the day. Much of the water on site was however frozen over & this meant there were hardly any ducks or waders to be seen over much of the reserve. Fortunately, some sections of the Mere were ice free & there was a lot to observe from the Mere Hide.

Many species of duck including Shoveller, Goldeneye, Pochard & Wigeon were on the lake. The highlights were a single Little Egret on the far bank & a female Sparrowhawk that flew over. Although the area around the Flood Meadows hide was frozen over this was where a pair of Snipe were spotted; due entirely to the generosity of a lady with a telescope. I have often noted that telescope owners are usually helpful & keen to share their views with those of us that don’t have one & that bird reserves are the friendliest of places.

Close to the lovely Visitor Centre was a wall- hide looking towards the car park. This was a particularly good spot to see Tree Sparrows, Teal and WigeonYellowhammers, Reed Buntings & Bullfinches. In total 45 bird species were recorded on the day.

The Cafe, which has a veranda overlooking the site, is well worth a visit.

John Gavaghan