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WFV, Allerthorpe Common, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve, Tuesday, 4th June, 2023

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Fri, 9th Jun 2023, 5:38pm

We left Bradford in the minibus on a cloudy, chilly day, destination Allerthorpe Common, to the south east of York, a Yorkshire Wildlife Trust nature reserve within Forestry Commission woodland. A main point of interest was to find a patch of May Lilies within the nature reserve, and the possibility of seeing Adders - opinion was divided as to whether that would be desirable. Plenty of flowers and grasses to be seen central-motorway and on verges en route (hard to definitively identify at a distance and at speed!)

Still in the car park the first flowers spotted on leaving the minibus were Green Alkanet, which led to the question of why 'green' when the flowers are so intensely blue. Clarified when Black Medic was spotted later and there was discussion of the colours different plants produce when used for dying (eg Dyer's Greenweed (not seen here))

WFV, Lower Grass Woods, Grassington, 30th May 2023

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Thu, 1st Jun 2023, 9:12am

It was one of those 'what to wear days'. For those who chose a warmer outfit, they had made the correct decision. Heavy clouds & a chilly breeze persisted for much of the day & the sun didn't put in an appearance until after lunch. We had travelled along the Aire Valley with several pick ups along the way.

After a toilet stop at the National Park Centre our full mini-bus headed down Wood Lane & parked up in the small, rocky car park at the foot of Grass Woods. This was no easy matter as the site was almost full and the largest of the rocks presented a significant hazard.  Two members had travelled there by car & helped to guide us in. We then crossed over the road & entered Lower Grass Woods which is the area bordered by the road & the river. Because it is such a linear site it is hardly visible on an OS map!

WFV, St Aidans RSPB Reserve, Swillington, 23rd May 2023

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Wed, 24th May 2023, 1:52pm

A party of six set off from the Unitarian Church, to visit once again this excellent reserve. We were last there on the 29th November 2022.  We arrived at 10:30 where we met up with another four members (one of whom was Tracey, making her BEES debut).  The weather was glorious throughout the day.

WFV, Sulber Nick, Ingleborough, 16th May 2023

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Sun, 21st May 2023, 11:52am

We had chosen to use the train for today’s travel to the Dales, with the thought that this not only reduced the walking to our destination, but also gave scope for varying return times. I’d like to think that the highlight of the day wasn’t that the trains ran on time, but it came a close second!

The aim of our visit was to enjoy the Bird’s-eye Primroses which have proliferated since the grazing regime on the Ingleborough National Nature Reserve was changed from sheep to cattle. To get to the area where the Bird’s-eye Primrose grow we needed to walk about one and a half miles up the Ingleborough path. There was a strict ‘no botanising’ instruction whilst we crossed the agricultural fields! There would be time on the way back, and better to save energy at this point. 

WFV - Silverdale, The Lots - 25 April 2023

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Sat, 29th Apr 2023, 9:01am

A lovely sunny morning saw 14 of us leave for Silverdale.  A brief stop at Kirby Lonsdale produced a good start to our birding day when the eagle eyes of Sue spotted a pair of treecreepers attending a nest.  With such a good sighting under our belts we resumed our journey and arrived at our destination at midday.  Julia then led us to The Lots where she welcomed our two new BEES, Angela and Lesley, before asking us to take care where we walked as the green-winged orchids were just emerging.  Lunch having been taken, again in the beautiful sunshine, we set off in search and were very quickly rewarded with the sight of numerous newly emerging green-winged, as well as early purples.  Much time was spent by some on hands and knees inspecting the finer points of these enchanting orchids whilst others searched the bushes for birdlife.

WFV, Staveley NR, nr Knaresborough, 18th April 2023

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Fri, 21st Apr 2023, 1:43pm

A group of 8 left Bradford on a fine, dry day to re-visit this delightful reserve. We had last planned to go there in April 2020 !  En route we picked up Margaret at Stone Trough plus Sue & Steve at Pool Bank. A toilet stop was made at the large CP close to Mother Shipton's Cave,  Knaresborough.

The reserve CP was surprisingly full & it took a measure of expertise from Julia to manouevre the mini-bus into a space. We later came across several working parties & possibly it was their vehicles that had filled up the parking area.  When the sun shone it was most pleasant but each time it clouded over it felt decidedly chilly.

Tuesday 4th April Boston Spa Walk

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Wed, 5th Apr 2023, 4:07pm

Thirteen of us enjoyed our outing to Boston Spa on a glorious spring day, sunny with not a cloud in the sky. On arrival, looking upwards we saw our first sightings, three red kites in the sky above (later buzzards were also spotted).

We started our walk following the Eastern Trail along the Georgian High Street admiring the beautiful buildings constructed from local limestone which had a warm hue. Boston Spa had been an important staging-post for travellers, reflected in some of the buildings which were clearly identified as stables previously, which now were superior  residential homes. It had also been an important spa town boasting of several hotels in a previous era.

We left the High Street at Wharfeside and started our walk along the banks of the River Wharfe, passing Boston Spa bridge (built 1779), the weir and fish pond to Deep Dale and Jackdaw Crag finally returning on the main road to St Mary's Church. 

WFV, Nosterfield LNR & West Tanfield Riverbank, 7th March 2023

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Wed, 8th Mar 2023, 4:49pm

The day began cold & crisp with a lovely blue sky & luckily for the nine of us stayed like that.  Clouds did begin bubbling up as we were leaving & some of them formed most interesting shapes.

A Red Kite flew very close to the mini bus on our outward journey so we all had great views of that.

WFV, Saltaire Canal and River, 7 Feb 2023

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Tue, 7th Feb 2023, 6:49pm

Today was our delayed ‘New Year’s Walk’, and it was great that 12 of us gathered for what would be better described as a wander than a walk. We adopted a casual pace along the tow path, taking time to check out the trees, plants and birds as we progressed, as well as catching up with each other’s news. 

The stretch between Saltaire and Hirst Lock was fairly quiet; a few Mallards, Greylag Geese, and a Wren. Alice started to note a few plants in flower. It’s the beginning of February so we wouldn’t expect to see much, but the list included Common Chickweed, Groundsel, Shepherd’s Purse, Field Speedwell, Snowdrop and Hazel. 

Beyond the lock we had a view into Hirst Wood and down to the river. We saw male and female Goosanders and a Cormorant flew past. John spotted a woodpecker, and we also saw one fly overhead.  

WFV, Potteric Carr, 17th January 2023

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Sat, 21st Jan 2023, 7:29pm

It was a bright, clear, very cold day when we went to Potteric Carr, the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve just south of Doncaster. Nestled in the elbow of the M18 and the A6182 and skirted to the north by the North East Coast railway line the reserve shows little sign of the site's industrial past as a railway spaghetti junction, apart from the working railway line passing through it and the Post Office depot at the north west corner. I'd not been here before but now, looking at the map, realise I have seen it countless times from the train and will look out with keener interest when leaving Doncaster station in future.

We set off from the Visitor Centre along the Dragonfly Trail, heading for the Wetland Walk. Beside the path was a hazel tree with huge, luminous yellow-green catkins and the tiny, magenta, spidery female hazel flowers, just gorgeous.