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WFV, Queensbury Circular, 17th April 2012

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Tue, 17th Apr 2012, 11:56pm
Shibden ValleyShibden 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 EastView 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. WoodrushWoodrushWe 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

WFV, Coldstone Quarry and Gouthwaite Reservoir, 3rd April 2012

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Tue, 10th Apr 2012, 9:10am
The CutThe 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 plus 5 ferns. Andrew Sabin, 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, oystercatcher, blackheaded and greater black-backed gulls. I almost forgot to include sightings of swallows! We were on the lookout for raptors but none were seen.LambsLambsWe 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 and 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

WFV Indoor meeting Southern Africa Tuesday 20th March 2012

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Tue, 20th Mar 2012, 9:02pm
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

WFV, Far Ings National Nature Reserve, Humber Bridge, 6th March 2012

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Fri, 9th Mar 2012, 11:49am
RedshankRedshank14 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 SwanDribbling 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

WFV, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, 21st Feb 2012

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Wed, 22nd Feb 2012, 11:52am

Trio of HeronsTrio 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 to and fro from the heronry 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 heronry. 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 floral species were identified in flower but alas no celandine. Considerable work was under way at the head of the Lower Lake. The plan is 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 exhibitions 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

Green Screen

Submitted by Nat R on Tue, 14th Feb 2012, 10:09am
For this years Climate Change Week (12th -18th March), BEES will be teaming up with the University of Bradford to host a very special green screen for you. Come along and watch short movies and a major climate change focussed feature film all powered by pedal power! Taking place in the students union at the university this fun and interactive event will really show how hard the power stations have to work to make your film watching experience. With short films starting at 5pm and the main feature film at around 6pm this event will take place in the middle floor of the building or the lecture theatre (0.51 upstairs) More info on the film etc closer to the time here – https://www.facebook.com/bradfordstudentcinema?sk=events Free car parking is available from 5.30pm on site – to find us see – http://www.bradford.ac.uk/contact-and-find-us/how-to-find-us/

WFV, Old Moor RSPB Reserve, Wombwell, Barnsley; 7th Feb 2012

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Thu, 9th Feb 2012, 11:33pm

LakeLakeDonald 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 WigeonTeal 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

WFV, Indoor Meeting, 24th January 2012

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Wed, 25th Jan 2012, 5:33am
17 of us gathered at the Unitarian church for our annual New Year meeting which took the usual format. We indulged in a tasty and varied buffet lunch before enjoying Margaret's presentation of digital images taken on field trips throughout 2011. They evoked many happy memories. Joan followed by presenting information on the visits planned for the 2012 programme. Julia then took us through some administrative matters and invited those who were interested to particpate in a half day computer training session. Copies of the excellent Bees diary for 2011 were distributed. Our session was rounded off by group participation in a word search devised by Alice. Our worthy winner was Sue. The group returned home well fed and stimulated looking forward to the Bees year ahead.

Margaret

WFV, New Year Walk, Colne Valley, 10th January, 2012

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Fri, 13th Jan 2012, 9:26pm
Sheep SculpturesSheep SculpturesThirteen people were on the new year walk led by Peter. Usually we associated our new years' walks with icy conditions but it was relatively mild and the day started bright and sunny if a little bracing. Our starting point was Marsden - a historic mill town on the edge of Yorkshire where we parked close to the railway station. After making use of the facilities in the town we headed for the towpath of the Huddersfield narrow canal. En route we stopped at the burial ground opposite St Bartholomew's church where Peter talked about some of the history of this mill town. This burial ground was the site of the original church. Beyond the church we crossed Mellor's Bridge, a quaint little packhorse bridge over the River Colne. We picked up the towpath of the Huddersfield narrow which we followed to the Standedge tunnel, the longest canal tunnel in Britain. From here we headed uphill to Butterley reservoir and followed the grassy path alongside the stream where there was an abundance of hart's tongue ferns. The weather was turning damper and colder. Very fine rain turned to persistent drizzle and without the sun the temperature took a noticeable dip. We spotted a flock of long-tailed tits. We walked a short distance on the road beside the river where we had excellent views of a dipper. DipperDipperWe left the road again to continue along the grassy streamside path. A hovering kestrel was sighted. Our lunch stop left us feeling very chilled and we eagerly headed back. The yaffle of a woodpecker was heard. On arriving back in Marsden we were given the option of either continuing to walk along the canal in the other direction or heading in to the village for a hot drink. It was not a difficult choice. We departed at about 3.15pm. The group seemed to be very impressed with the character of this town and many expressed an interest in returning to explore further. Many thanks to Peter for leading the walk and sharing some of the history of Marsden.

Sue

BEES Christmas meal 13th December 2011

Submitted by Wildlife Field… on Thu, 22nd Dec 2011, 6:40pm
Our Christmas celebrations took the traditonal format. We met at 10am at the Unitarian church hall for tea/coffee and presentations given by Margaret and Stuart. Margaret's presentation was entitled "Across the North Face of the Eiger- the flowers and scenery of the Bernese Oberland". Margaret showed us her pictures of the wonderful flowers of the alps. They included images of the trumpet and spring gentian, the white and yellow pasque flower, the alpine forget me not, the alpine snowbell, the lady's slipper orchid. martagon lily and snowdon lily to name but a few.The flowers were growing in the magnificent backdrop of the mountains the Eiger and Jungfrau. Stuart complemented this presentation by taking us on an adventure down under to Tasmania and the north Island of New Zealand. His talk could have been entitled "In the steps of Samuel Marsden " a wool merchant/entrepreneur and clergyman who orginated from the Leeds area and had ventured to Tasmania and the North island of New Zealand.Thanks go to both for entertaining us so well. We climbed the heights to Thornton to enjoy our meal at the Raggalds. we were joined by several guests as well as regular supporters of the group. Margaret
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