Blog

WFV, TONG PARK BAILDON, 8 March 2022

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Wed, 9th Mar 2022, 5:20pm

In welcome sunshine but with a sharp breeze eight members joined Sue Norvill and myself at Lonk House Lane in Baildon. The aim of today’s walk was to look for signs of Spring in Tong Park. “Lonk” is the name of a breed of sheep (ref. Donald) and the residential property replacing Lonk House Farm buildings was passed as we climbed the stone stile at Farm Gate on to the field track into the valley. Here, Sally (G) saw a “ferrety” like animal avoid identification as it shot across the path! Soon, some 300 feet below, the large pond and Tong Park cricket field, often claimed as having the ground with the most scenic approach in Yorkshire, came into view. The ground had thankfully dried considerably since recce time so underfoot problems were minimal.

WFV, Ilkley Winter Tree Trail, 1st March, 2022

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Wed, 2nd Mar 2022, 9:52am

This trip had been postponed from 22nd February due to flooding in Ilkley. 8 BEES participants gathered at the Manor House in Ilkley and met up with Sue Stevens, who was leading us on the winter tree trail in Ilkley. Sue and her husband Neil have created this trail  and when I had enquired about the leaflets for the trail, Sue had kindly offered to lead our group today.  

In beautiful spring sunshine, we examined the features of twenty trees between the Manor House and the Lido, considering the bark, buds, tree shape, catkins and flowers that can aid identification of the trees. The ash trees in Ilkley are sadly being ravaged by ash die back. The most impressive trees on the walk were the rare black poplars on the bank of the River Wharfe. The walk was very informative and interesting and everyone seemed to enjoy it; there seems to be considerable interest in embarking on some of the summer tree trails on offer. 

WFV, Raw Nook/Toad Hole Beck - 8 February, 2022

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Wed, 9th Feb 2022, 4:06pm

There was a fine drizzle as the 4 of us met at Raw Nook Nature Reserve.  Fortunately this did not last for long and by the time we had located our first group of scarlet elf cups, it had stopped.  We had been informed by Martyn Priestley, who sadly was not able to join us, to look for these off the main path and they were there in abundance giving a wonderful splash of colour on a dull day. In fact our walk could be called the scarlet elf cup walk as they seemed to be everywhere!  No sign of frogspawn as yet on the pond.  Probably still too early but worth a look nonetheless.  The catkins on the hazel looked glorious and there was evidence of female flowers as well.  Birdsong followed us as we strolled with blue and great tits noted as well as blackbirds rooting in the undergrowth.  

WFV, Silsden Canal Walk, 11th January 2022

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Sat, 15th Jan 2022, 9:30am

It ws good to see eleven people turn out for the first BEES trip of 2022. I had hoped to lead the group on the canal towpath towards KIldwick, but it was far too muddy so we walked on the upgraded towpath towards Riddlesden. Shortly after setting off we peered over the wall onto Silsden Beck below and saw a perched kingfisher. It soon flew into some hidden vegetation before flying upstream in a flash of blue. A grey wagtail was seen weaving amongst some pots on a garden wall before flying down to rocks in the beck. 

No sooner had we continued walking than the kingfisher was seen again on a canal barge, but as soon as he knew he'd been spotted he was off again. 

As we worked our way along the towpath at the reassuringly slow BEES pace, we noted catkins on a tree, berries on a holly bush and fungi on a tree stump which was identified by John as Lumpy Bracket. About a mile along the canal another flying kingfisher was spotted, landing briefly before flying again.

WFV, St Chad's Churchyard, Headingley, 16th Nov 2021

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Thu, 18th Nov 2021, 4:18pm

On a grey, still, November day, four of us met up to repeat our almost annual visits to this rich Waxcap site. We had travelled in two cars; so many thanks to the two drivers: Julia & Sue N.  Whilst it wasn't a bitterly cold day, we soon felt chilled, as moving around slowly or standing still for periods in November has a tendency to make one feel cold.  It wasn't long before I put on my woolly hat!

There was a large funeral going on as we arrived so initially we spent time searching the area closest to the main road. Here we found that the Giant Polypore was still present & numerous Beech Milkcaps were found. It was several minutes before these were successfully identified. They have a most unpleasant smell. The literature mentions them smelling of bed bugs, engine oil, ovens that need cleaning etc !

9.11.21 Rodley Nature Reserve

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Wed, 10th Nov 2021, 3:57pm

It was lovely to see so many folk at Rodley today, a bit like old times.Ten of us gathered for an introductory talk from Graham (we were later joined by John) who took the opportunity to inform us of the planned closure of the reserve for at least two months in January and February 2022 for work to be done on upgrading the swing bridge across the canal.The reserve is now a familiar haunt for us all.We usually focus on a different aspect of the reserve on our visit and on this occasion our focus was on fungi. We were given access to the coppice woodland for our fungi foray.This is an area of predominatly willow ( previously used for biomass and laterly managed by Bees conservation volunteers) with alder, birch , oak and beech also a thick understorey of bramble and ferns. We needed an expert for the identification of fungi species and had our own in John.Several species were identified by John and his enthusiastic and patient followers both in the coppice woodland and meadows.

Devonshire Park, Keighley - 2 November 2021

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Sat, 6th Nov 2021, 9:58am

It was just a year since our last visit to Devonshire Park, a small, 9 acre park very close to the centre of Keighley which was opened in 1888 on land given to the town by the 7th Duke of Devonshire and designed by Lister Kershaw whose renowned nursery business had been established in Brighouse some 20 years before.  We noted the recently opened outdoor gym and recreational area at the edge of the park and hoped that participants might be inspired by some of the natural beauty around them.

WFV - Gallows Hill, Otley, Tuesday 12 October, 2021

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Wed, 13th Oct 2021, 5:22pm

It was a calm and fine day as 8 of us met for our visit to Gallows Hill Nature Reserve.  Our last visit had been at the end of 2019 and had produced a surprising range of fungi.  Today, in dry conditions, fungi were still in evidence but not the same number of species.  None of those present today had the depth of John's knowledge, which had been greatly appreciated on our last visit and was sadly missed today.  Of those species we did see we felt reasonably confident in identifying turkey tail, glistening inkcap, blushing bracket, coral spot fungus, candlesnuff, puffballs and lumpy bracket.  Mycena sp were noted but there were others which we were at a loss to put a name to.

WFV Morecambe Bay - Tuesday 5 October 2021

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Thu, 7th Oct 2021, 5:22pm

Our party of 7 arrived in Morecambe on a very blustery day to meet with John and Sally at the station.  On John's recommendation we approached the promenade via the Poet's Walk and headed first towards Trafalgar Point.  An oystercatcher and 3 cormorants were seen on the shoreline but nearer the point we were delighted to catch sight of an eider flying past.  Showers were never far away, but not as frequent as anticipated, as we made our way along the promenade in the direction of Heysham.  By this time the tide was turning so we all kept a watchful eye out for waders.  Our first real sighting was of a flock of about 60 curlew next to which, nestled amongst the rocks, were 3 little egret.  A lesser black-backed gull was also noted.  On the promenade itself a couple of wheatears were showing well and pied wagtail were also noted.  As the tide receded a distant flock of knot were seen.  Identification was debated as the scope was struggling to pick out the necessary detail but it was f

21.09.2021 Eccup Reservoir and Golden Acre Park

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Tue, 21st Sep 2021, 7:13pm

Where was everybody?! You were missed. Marilyn and myself enjoyed an interesting and productive birding walk on a fine autumnal day. This was a circular walk starting from the eastern end of Eccup reservoir encompassing hedgerow, fields, the dam wall and woodland. It gave us a variety of bird life and some late summer flowers. In the hedgerow we saw goldfinch and on the dam verges a pied wagtail. We disturbed groups of cormorant, egrets and coot sheltering below the dam wall. Several red kites were seen in the sky above. A flock of swallows flew overhead. There were large gatherings of geese, greylag and canada on the sheltered beaches of the reservoir in the distance. A group of four swans were seen lingering in the centre of the reservoir. A chiffchaff and jay were heard. Several speckled wood butterflies chased us along the paths. The hedgerows and verges were full of berries, fruit and flowers in seed.