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WFV, Hodsock Priory, 11th February 2014

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Tue, 11th Feb 2014, 8:16pm
The HouseThe HouseAnd then there were eleven, some of our party were missing including our leader Joan. However Margaret and Robert took the helm. The weather conditions deteriorated markedly giving us rain and sleet as we drove south on the A1M. After some navigational problems we arrived at Hodsock and were warmly greeted by Sir Andrew and Lady Buchanan the present owners. The weather conditions were poor so the party was happy to gravitate to the marquee tea room to realise their vouchers for a free cup of tea. We explored the gardens and woodland at our leisure (some of us completed the route twice). We marvelled at the swaths of snowdrops, aconities, iris, cyclamen, mahonia, winter honeysuckle, witch hazel as well as fungi. Bank Of CyclamenBank Of CyclamenEarly afternoon and sunshine appeared. The group set off again in the direction of the woodland. At two o'clock several of us gathered around the bonfire at the woodland hut to listen to George Buchanan, son of the owner, tell us the history of the family and the house. Birds seen by the group included goldcrest, blue and great tits, robin, tree creeper and pied wagtail. A woodpecker was heard.Our visit was enjoyed by all. We expressed our gratitude to Robert for driving safely in difficult conditions.

Margaret

WFV, Bird Safari Lower Wharfe Valley, 4th February 2014

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Tue, 4th Feb 2014, 9:35pm
Weir At OtleyWeir At OtleyNo rare migrants but a long list of birds were seen by our party of 15. John recorded a total of 38 species. After the recent storms and floods we were lucky to experience a fine day with some sunny periods. A storm was predicted for the next day. We started our safari at Yeadon Tarn where we saw a good gathering of ducks - Tufted and Pochard, flotillas of Goosander male and female, Great Crested Grebe as well as resident Mute Swans, Black-Headed Gulls and Mallard. Following our call at Waitrose supermarket we drove to Weston Lane and scanned the lakes of Otley wetland and surrounding fields. A Cormorant was seen on the lake, a large flock of Curlew was seen feeding in the adjacent field. Signs Of SpringSigns Of Spring On arrival at Wharfedale Meadows two very old birds of prey were seen.They had been carved on the stone work of the gatehouses dated 1618 forming the entrance to the Farnley Hall estate (Farnley Hall is owned by the Fawkes family who had strong connections with the painter William Turner). Their identity proved to be a mystery! The weir which was in full spate was spectacular however of considerable interest to several group members was the drone which was being used to photograph the environs of a large housebuilding site which is being built on the site where Garnett's Mill had previously stood. Long-Tailed TitLong-Tailed TitOur afternoon walk down Castley Lane beyond Pool in Wharfedale was to be productive providing sightings of the aerial acrobatics of red kite and buzzard. Teal, Moorhen and Heron were seen in an area of wetland. The Tits - Blue,Great and Long-Tailed also Finches, Chaffinch and Bullfinch were seen in the hedgerow and woodland. Other birds sighted on the day were Dunnock, Sparrow, Kestrel, Lapwing, Robin, Crow, Blackbird, Goldfinch but no Wren, Raven or Thrushes. 16 species of plants and trees in flower were recorded. Keeping to tarmaced paths and quiet roads we had been successful in avoiding muddy boots and clothes. Our day was yet further proof that Tuesday is a good day to be out even in winter.

Margaret

WFV New Year Social 21st January 2014

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Thu, 23rd Jan 2014, 9:22am
Our New Year Social took the same format as on previous years - food, a review of 2013, a look forward, some necessary administrative tasks and a quiz. Margaret gave us a quick run through on places visited and some of the birds., flowers,and fungi we had seen during the course of the year. This was followed by Sue's presentation of digital images. Joan gave us some ideas on places we could visit in 2014 which elicted some lively discussion among group members. Finally John provided us with a testing and varied quiz on natural history.The meeting was well attended and much enjoyed. Thanks to all who gave a helping hand. Margaret

WFV, Spen Valley Greenway, 7th January 2014

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Tue, 7th Jan 2014, 7:52pm
Looking At The Memorial in Victoria ParkLooking At The Memorial in Victoria ParkThe New Year’s Walk for 2014 took on a new format in that it was linear. There were quite a few cancellations due to ill health so only seven participants headed off from Bradford in the minibus to our starting point at Woodlands Cricket Club in Oakenshaw. There a further seven people joined the party to walk the 4.5 downhill miles to Heckmondwike on the Spen Valley Greenway. We started off at the memorial in Victoria Park which commemorates the loss of 38 lives in an explosion at the nearby Low Moor Chemical Works in 1916 in what was once a heavily industrialised part of Bradford. The weather at the start of our walk was clear, bright and mild and we meandered happily along enjoying the surprisingly open countryside along the route as we dodged the many bike Sheep SculptureSheep Sculptureriders who make good use of this Sustrans route. The mild weather tempted one or two plants into flower and we were accompanied by numerous birds as we enjoyed the various sculptures that are a feature of the route. After a short shower, lunch was taken a mile or so before we reached Heckmondwike where a small flock of redwings entertained us. RedwingRedwing After we reached our destination the weather took a turn for the worse and so the café at Morrison’s was a welcome retreat for most of the party whilst they waited for the minibus to be fetched from our starting point for the return journey. Some members of the party ventured as far as the Tog24 factory shop and Sue was rewarded by the purchase of a pair of £8 walking boots! This was a not-too-strenuous outing, ideal for an early-season walk which allowed everyone to dust off what cobwebs remained after the recent festivities.

Stuart

WFV Tuesday 10th December Christmas Meeting

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Fri, 13th Dec 2013, 1:57pm
We met at 10am at the Unitarian Church Hall for presentations by Maddy and Stuart. There was a warm convival atmosphere. Maddy showed us images from her pilgramage to the place where she was born and lived in Southern India. Stuart presented his images of the rich bird life that he and Gillian encountered on a recent visit to Costa Rica. We were later joined by other members for an excellent meal at the Dubrovnik Hotel in Manningham arranged by Janet.

Margaret

WFV, Strid Woods (Mystery Outing), 26th November, 2013

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Tue, 3rd Dec 2013, 7:33pm
View From The AqueductView From The AqueductThe mystery trip is now becoming an annual tradition which is proving to be popular. Unfortunately Joan had withdrawn from the trip but about 20 people attended this outing to Strid Woods. The group divided into 2; the ramblers led by Donald walked as far as Barden Bridge and John's amblers who went only as far as the aqueduct. The amblers spent much of the route looking at fungi including wrinkled club, lumpy bracket and olive oysterling. Bird sightings included mandarin ducks and a dipper but the highlight was seeing 3 goldcrest one of which had an unusually broad yellow band on his head. Panellus serotinus (Olive oysterling)Panellus serotinus (Olive oysterling)The ramblers were the first to arrive for lunch by the aqueduct. After lunch, some chose to go back via the same route whilst others followed the path on the other side of the river. A pause in the "bird hut" gave an opportunity to see coal tits and nuthatches feeding on scattered seed. A botanical highlight was the beech fern, one of 9 ferns noted. Many of the group rounded off the day with a visit to the Cavendish Pavilion tea shop for refreshments. A lovely, crisp sunny day out.

Sue

Wildlife Field Visit Group, North Dean Woods south of Halifax, 12th Nov 2013

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Wed, 13th Nov 2013, 9:09pm
AutumnAutumnThe walk was led by Brian Ellis and Amanda Smith. The old mini-bus was used for a change and the driver was Robert who is back with the group after a few years away. He has an eagle eye when it comes to spotting small fungi! As with nearly all our fieldtrips of late the weather was a delight.

Lots of blue sky, not too cold and not too windy. We meandered along the Oak trail, mainly looking at fungi. When I say meandered, it wasn't as fast as that! The group kept finding fungi for Joan and myself to ID. Eventually we had to say enough 'no more finding fungi' otherwise we would not have travelled more than 200 yards.

Wrinkled ClubWrinkled ClubThe steep woodland offered up some splendid views of the valley below. Birdlife was almost totally absent. Joan and Alice managed to find 4 species of fern and 5 flowering plants. Lunch was taken on top of a rocky hillside overlooking a stand of beeches far below. None of the group ventured to the bottom apart from Sir Galahad (Alan to his friends) who gallantly rescued the cup that Amanda had accidently? dropped. He gasped his way back to the top, then had to lie down!

The fungi found were mainly brackets and crusts; Sulphur TuftSulphur TuftBirch Bracket/Polypore, Blushing Bracket, Turkeytail, Lumpy Bracket, Variable and Peeling Oysterlings and Coral Spot. Other fungi were: Candlesnuff, Sulphur Tuft, Common Earthballs, Crampballs aka King Arthur's Cakes, Milking Bonnet, Pleated Parasoll, Sheathed Woodtuft/Two toned Woodtuft, Wrinkled Club and an overgone Orange Birch Bolete. We didn't find any Russulas or Lactarias or other Boletes, possibly because it is now getting late in the fungi season.

We were accompanied by a student called Betony, who currently works in Mytholmroyd with Hugh Firman. She had various species list that she updated as we went round. The day ended with a pitstop at the Willow Tree Cafe in a nearby garden centre.

John Gavaghan

WFV, Fairburn Ings, 29th October 2013

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Wed, 30th Oct 2013, 10:14am
View From Lin Dike HideView From Lin Dike HideThe group numbering 13 was capably led for the day by Stuart who also did the driving. This was his final outing of the year before departing for the sunshine of South Africa. The original plan had been to visit Wheldrake Ings Nature reserve, however the conditions there were dry with little birding interest. Fairburn Ings proved to be an excellent choice for birds, berries, fungi and all else. The weather conditions were variable - sometimes breezy but sunny with good visibility and no rain.

Tree SparrowTree SparrowThe ducks seemed to be enjoying the conditions on the main lake - Coot, Wigeon, Teal, Tufted ducks and Gadwall were seen in good numbers as well as Mute swans, Greylag and Canada geese. Willow Tit and Kingfisher were seen from the viewing screens. Goldfinch, Tree sparrow, Greenfinch were using the feeders, while Siskin and Redwing were viewed in the trees. A total of 38 bird species were seen on the day, a good haul. Following lunch the party divided into two groups, five stayed in the vicinity of the visitors centre while seven "The Magnificent Seven" named by John departed in the minibus for Lin Dike. The highlight species for the day was seen through the scope resting in the sunshine on a branch of a pylon - a Peregrine.

Shaggy ParasolShaggy Parasol

Other species spotted were Cormorant, Shoveler, Shelduck and Curlew. Notable botanical species (some plants were still in flower) were Hop and Button weed, an alien plant also seen at Waters Edge country park.The fungi group were equally delighted with their finds of the day including a family of Earth Balls, Brown Rollrim, Wood Blewitt, Peeling oysterling, Shaggy Parasol, Brown Birch Bolete, Small Stagshorn to name a few. Several Brown Hawker dragonflies were seen along the path. The finale for the day was a slice of Margaret's apple and ginger cake made from a recipe provided by Julia using apples from the Community orchard. Thanks to Stuart and others for giving us a highly enjoyable autumnal day out.

Margaret

WFV, Lotherton Hall, 15th October 2013

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Wed, 16th Oct 2013, 9:51am
Autumn CrocusesAutumn CrocusesThe attendance on today’s trip was reduced by illness to three of our regular members and we hope that Martin, Alice and today’s intended joint leader, John, are soon recovered. The wet weather of the last few days relented again for our Tuesday outing which got off to a bright start when our intrepid driver Sue used her charm to gain free entrance for the group to the grounds of Lotherton Hall for our annual fungus foray. Joan took on the leadership for the day, assisted by Veronica, and as she led us from the car park to the woods we were reminded that autumn is upon us when a flock of redwings flew over. Further evidence of autumn was all around with leaves beginning to turn and fruits and nuts abundant in the hedgerows whilst the stags in the deer park were looking decidedly frisky.Dog StinkhornDog Stinkhorn

Our foray progressed at the usual BEES pace as we discovered a wide variety of fungi in the woods, including the highlight of the day, the uncommon Dog Stinkhorn, spotted by Sue’s eagle eyes. We returned to the stable courtyard for lunch and were able to take shelter there when a very brief shower passed over. After lunch the group split up to explore the various different attractions of the site; DunnockDunnocksome visiting the house, others the bird garden, the formal garden and the orchard which provided rich pickings amongst the windfalls

The wild bird count was low but we were delighted to see a few ladybirds and even one or two butterflies – a comma and an unidentified species, probably a peacock. A return to the café was on the agenda for many of the group before we departed on our uneventful journey back to Bradford, early enough to avoid any traffic hold ups. A very pleasant day at a rewarding destination; thanks to Joan for her expertise and to Sue for her driving and photography skills.

Stuart

WFV, Great Northern Trail, 1st October 2013

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Fri, 4th Oct 2013, 11:11am
Thornton ViaductThornton Viaduct

Today's trip was very local but proved to be a popular one with 19 participants. The Great Northern Trail is a work in progress and our walk this week was along a newly opened section which runs from Thornton to Queensbury. ( We didn't plan to walk all the way to Queensbury!!). This year's summer has been lovely and has extended right through to the end of September but it had firmly closed its doors for the season and the strong wind really added a chill to the drop in temperature. From our meeting point at South Square we headed for the trail which turns off Thornton Road close to Thornton Primary. Before taking the trail across the viaduct we explored a wooded path which branches off the trail. It was here that we found quite a lot of fungi. White KnightWhite KnightAs well as a number of fly agaric there was an assemblage of white fungi, some quite large, later identified as White Knight, Tricholoma album. Other fungi seen were Sheathed Woodtuft, Blushing Bracket, Honey Fungus and Puffballs. There was some uncertainty about whether some were Earthballs or Puffballs. 

After exploring this path we headed back and crossed the Thornton Viaduct. The route is quite exposed and the cold was starting to bite. The more eagle-eyed folk in our group (Sally and John) spotted a sign for hot drinks at a local farm and took full advantage of this welcome offer. The devout botanists on the other hand really took their time and enjoyed identifying the plants many of which were flowering later than usual. 119 plants and ferns were recorded including Musk Mallow, Marsh meadow Grass, Spotted Medick, Swinecress and Common Mallow. Few birds were seen today. A jay was spotted and we did see some crows and thrushes having a tussle over prime tree territory. 

Honey FungusHoney FungusThe original plan for the day had been to try and walk as far as Station Road but after eating our packed lunches we continued only as far as Cockin Lane before we decided to head back to Thornton. This week is National Older People's Week and South Square was holding an afternoon tea and reminiscence event. We were glad to get warm and enjoy the generous hospitality - as soon as a teapot was emptied it was filled again and cakes were also on offer. A small donation of £1 was requested. The Thornton Antiquarian Society had created a table display of artefacts and this did generate some reminiscing from our group.  

Although cold it was an enjoyable day out and it is always good to explore the local area. Thanks to Lorna and Joan, our leaders for today. 

Sue

 

 

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