Author Archives: Richard Bell

Gulls chasing Bat

Posted on October 4, 2021 by Richard Bell

Monday, 4 October, 2021, 10.52 am, Newmillerdam near main car park, sunny slight breeze: There’s a commotion amongst the black-headed gulls and a boisterous flock of 20 or 30 of them swoop and tumble over towards me from the outlet … Continue reading →

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Another Outing, 24 May 1873

Posted on August 9, 2021 by Richard Bell

Wakefield Express- 31 May 1873 WAKEFIELD NATURALISTS’ SOCIETY On Saturday last the members of this Society had a field-day at Nostell, Ryhill, and Wintersett. It was a beautiful day, and nature decked in her spring garb of ever-varying green, displayed … Continue reading →

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A Ramble with the Nats, 17 June 1871

Posted on June 17, 2021 by Richard Bell

150 years ago today the West Riding Consolidated Naturalists Society had a ramble through Coxley valley. Here’s how it was reported in the local press a week later: EXCURSION AND MEETING OF THE WEST RIDING CONSOLIDATED NATURALISTS SOCIETY. Notwithstanding the … Continue reading →

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Sparrow Box Soap Opera

Posted on January 13, 2021 by Richard Bell

Some day we will get it right for the birds! First we put up a blue tit box and sparrows nested in it, so we replaced it with a sparrow terrace with three nest holes and the blue tits nested … Continue reading →

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Wayside Flowers

Posted on May 10, 2020 by Richard Bell

As today would have been the first of our outdoor meetings, Richard and I decided we would spend our one hour walk to Smithy Brook, between Middlestown and Thornhill, recording the species we saw.After all the glorious sunny weather over … Continue reading →

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Spring Walk

Posted on April 7, 2020 by Richard Bell

Setting out on our morning walk we are surprised by the piping call of three oystercatchers as they skirt the edge of Coxley Woods.  Our regular one hour walk involves a lot of road walking but is proving enjoyable with … Continue reading →

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Wakefield Climate Change Group

Posted on June 19, 2019 by Richard Bell

Jenny Sergeant, a member of the Nats from way back in the 1970s, has asked me to pass on this invitation Wakefield Naturalists’ Society membbers: All are invited to participate in the Wakefield Just Transition Forum, Lightwaves, Lower Yorks St WF1 … Continue reading →

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Spotted Redshanks, the Wyke, 1973

Posted on January 2, 2019 by Richard Bell

  These spotted redshanks appear on the cover of The Aire Valley Wetlands, compiled and published by Richard L. Brook and the Wakefield Naturalists’ Society in 1976. I’d originally drawn them for a much-delayed 1973 Bird Report, to show autumn migrants at Horbury Wyke but Richard retained the … Continue reading →

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A Fitting Tribute

Posted on April 21, 2018 by Richard Bell

Richard Brook, for many years our Conservation Officer, died, aged 74, a year ago on 20 April, 2017. I showed some of his slides of local wetland habitats on members’ night, including this surprisingly open view of the top end … Continue reading →

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Leventhorpe Lagoon, 1973

Posted on March 29, 2018 by Richard Bell

I’ve been making a start on archiving the colour slides taken by Richard Brook (1943-2017), for many years the Conservation Officer of the Society. He photographed the East Ash Lagoon at Leventhorpe from the lagoon’s northwest corner on Sunday, 2 September, … Continue reading →

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