Tag Archives: Wakefield wildlife

Fledging of the Peregrines

Posted on June 30, 2017 by Francis Hickenbottom

The 2017 season has been another successful one for the Wakefield peregrines. The same two adults have now bred on the cathedral in three successive years. This year, they had four eggs, with the female laying the first egg within … Continue reading →

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Ringlet butterflies at Nostell Priory

Posted on June 29, 2017 by Roger Gaynor

Last week Wakefield enjoyed a mini heat wave, which was encouraging for our local butterflies.  This week we have seen an abrupt and very wet change in our weather with any sunshine in short supply; a real dampener for any … Continue reading →

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Wild flowers at Anglers Country Park

Posted on May 30, 2017 by Sue Gaynor

Anglers CP has always been a favourite for bird watching but the wildflowers are also improving year by year: dog roses, guelder rose and dogwood are in full splendour at the moment edging the path as we passed the right … Continue reading →

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Peregrine Ringing, 2017

Posted on May 28, 2017 by Francis Hickenbottom

A big event on the peregrine calendar is the ringing of the peregrine chicks. This year’s ringing took place on Saturday, 27th May, when the youngsters were three weeks and four days old. The youngsters were collected from the nestbox … Continue reading →

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Urban Birding

Posted on May 20, 2017 by Pauline Brook

For those who like to observe wildlife close to home, here are a few sightings from Chantry Bridge. My first visit at the end of April found a male goosander alongside the common species such as 20+ mallard, which included six … Continue reading →

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Baby bird boom

Posted on May 19, 2017 by Roger Gaynor

Happily, this spring appears to have been kind to many baby birds with good numbers of fledglings of various species seen during my local wanderings.  At home, noisy queues of starlings and house sparrows jostle for position at the garden … Continue reading →

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Yellow is the colour at Stanley Ferry Flash

Posted on May 1, 2017 by Roger Gaynor

The colour yellow was certainly in fashion today during my walk around the woodland and waterside edges at Stanley Ferry Flash. Most eye-catching was a number of wandering brimstone butterflies often flying too fast to follow and to get a … Continue reading →

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Butterflies at Engine Wood, Nostell Priory

Posted on April 28, 2017 by Roger Gaynor

On the edge of a large nettle bed close to Engine Wood I watched a male small tortoiseshell butterfly establish a courtship territory. It was basking in the morning sunshine and suddenly taking flight high into the sky to investigate … Continue reading →

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Sunshine and showers at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Posted on April 26, 2017 by Roger Gaynor

Today, braving the cold wintery showers with occasional sunshine, a walk around the lakes and woodland at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park was rewarded with some wonderful wildlife sightings, including two stoats at first oblivious to my presence whilst chasing each … Continue reading →

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Wormstall Woods, Ledsham – Wildflower walk

Posted on April 18, 2017 by Sue Gaynor

A chill wind caught us as we walked up the sloping track brightened by dog’s-mercury, cuckoo pint, white dead-nettle and a clump of hairy violet. We stopped to admire clumps of goldilocks buttercups amongst the celandine, up in the woodland … Continue reading →

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