Category Archives: Nature notes

Nature notes and observations from around the Wakefield district

Burying beetle in the moth trap

Posted on July 3, 2018 by John Gardner

I’ve been running a moth trap since mid-April after I received one for my birthday and I’ve had some success catching a variety of species of moth which I will probably show at one of the indoor meetings. As well … Continue reading →

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Butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies at Stanley Ferry Flash

Posted on June 30, 2018 by Roger Gaynor

Today, Stanley Ferry Flash produced my first sightings this summer for purple hairstreak and gatekeeper butterflies. The purple hairstreak was sheltering (out of the sun?) high up in a willow bush and surprisingly some distance from the site’s main areas … Continue reading →

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Giving Swifts a Little Help

Posted on June 25, 2018 by Francis Hickenbottom

It was Swift Awareness Week last week. Work was a bit busy then but, a week later, I have finally put up two swift nestboxes that I was prevented from putting in place earlier in the year. By doing a … Continue reading →

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Field meeting at Thorpe Marsh YWT Reserve

Posted on June 13, 2018 by Roger Gaynor

There was a good turn out of Society members at our field meeting on Sunday 10 June at the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust reserve at Thorpe Marsh.  We were well rewarded with a wide variety of interesting bird, plant and insect … Continue reading →

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Wild flowers at Brockadale

Posted on May 30, 2018 by Sue Gaynor

Beautiful Brockadale -what a variety of flowers and butterflies! Although we were too early for bee orchid, common spotted orchids were just coming into flower, perhaps a couple of weeks later than usual..  The car park is always a good … Continue reading →

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Dawn Chorus and Bluebells

Posted on May 9, 2018 by Karen Nicklin

Sunday 6 May was International Dawn Chorus Day, a worldwide celebration of nature’s symphony. It is celebrated annually on the first Sunday of May, and is a great opportunity to get out early and listen to the sounds of birds as … Continue reading →

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Stromatolites at South Elmsall

Posted on May 9, 2018 by Francis Hickenbottom

Following a fruitless trip to search for adders yesterday, three of us decided to visit a particularly interesting quarry at S Elmsall. The quarry is a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of some shapes that can be seen in … Continue reading →

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Hetchell Wood flower walk

Posted on May 1, 2018 by Sue Gaynor

Hetchell Wood was a delight in the spring sunshine with plenty of bluebells, lesser celandine interspersed by common dog violet and barren strawberry.  Amongst the dogs mercury and greater stitchwort, sanicle was almost in flower.   Taking the path across the … Continue reading →

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Spring Mushrooms

Posted on May 1, 2018 by Francis Hickenbottom

Note: Please do not eat any mushrooms that you collect from the wild as a result of anything that you read on this page. You should not eat wild-collected fungi unless they are identified for you by an expert. Spring … Continue reading →

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Swan skirmish at Nostell Priory

Posted on March 21, 2018 by Roger Gaynor

Yesterday, Sunday 18 March, during another arctic blast I witnessed a male mute swan, known as a cob, chase off an unwelcome visitor to the lower lake at Nostell Priory.  The newcomer was no doubt seen as being too close … Continue reading →

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