Looking forward to
May

Say what you saw!



Since its birth, ours has been a recording society, so part of the value of our records is that they form an unbroken series from 1946. Each year's records are published in the 'Wharfedale Naturalist.'

We welcome your contributions. You can now do this via the web site here , or contact the recorders direct, via the Secretary.

Wildlife in
May

Settled weather (?) - so much to see!

• Swifts swooping
• Dotterel on Ilkley Moor
• Blue butterflies - Holly Blue first, Common if early
• Green hairstreaks on Otley Chevin
• Dragonflies! Large Red Damselflies, Four-spotted Chasers
• Leopard's-bane at Denton

More here

Feather forecast



If you were to be very lucky, you might see Dotterel on Ilkley Moor in early May. These are birds of the high tops, breeding very irregularly in England, and difficult to see. They are delightful little grey-brown plovers, the male with a bright red-brown front. They pass through on passage and the Moor is a traditional stopover for small groups.

For a slightly easier quest, take a walk through woodland and see you can find Spotted Flycatcher. Strid Wood and the Washburn are likely, and upper Wharfedale and Littondale have been most productive in recent years. Last year, though, even mid-Wharfedale did better than it had for a long time. Even if you don't see the bird, you'll see lots of other breeders - Pied Flycatcher, for instance. They are found in just a few breeding sites - Strid Wood, Grass Wood and Dob Park are some.

This month we see Swifts, back from South Africa for the summer. The earliest record for return is April 21st, and they mostly stay only until late August. Their noisy swooping after insects on their sickle-shaped wings, often with groups of Swallows or House-martins, is an icon of English summer. It nests mostly in urban areas.

Plants now



There are so many plants to enjoy at this time but it is the May blossom which defines the month.

Hawthorn is found almost everywhere in Britain. It spreads quickly, helped by its juicy fruits which are food for birds. It is of course often planted as hedging and was very popular during the Enclosure Act period.

It was just one plant of many which in the past made up 'the May'. The whitethorn was a protector against the evil waiting at the turning of the season. Yet as a powerful plant it could be dangerous - it should not be brought indoors. Lone hawthorns could be fairy places and should never be interfered-with. Hawthorn wood burns hotter than any, and the bush can live to a great age.

Nature Notes
by Society members
featured in Wharfedale Newspapers

Nesting time

I suspect that long-tailed tits are nesting in or near our garden. They appear about every half-hour for a quick fat-ball snack, then off again. They’ll need extra energy - their nest is an amazing construction, an elastic bag made of moss, lichen and cobwebs, lined with feathers. A keen naturalist once dissected an old nest and found over 2,000 feathers. Imagine the labour involved in collecting and placing these.

My Malhamdale friend is faced with a nesting-time dilemma. Last year the swallows that nest above his workshop had difficulty securing their nest because of the dry weather in April. Keen to help, he provided them with a dampened heap of earth in the yard outside. It was part of the spoil from a newly dug pond, excellent, sticky clay. The nest was built in two days - a fine, strong structure - and broods were reared, fledged and left - a success story. Then, later in the year, he noticed birdlime around the still-sturdy nest. Wrens were using it as a cosy winter roost. Fine - another success.

Then, about three weeks ago, he found the original nest had grown a second storey - an untidy ball of moss and other vegetation. A cock wren had taken full advantage of such a secure and sheltered niche. We now await with interest the swallows’ return. My guess is that they will build another nest nearby - perhaps again with a little help in the provision of materials. Of course, the wren’s nest may not be occupied. The cock wren builds several of these nests and then conducts the female round them. She chooses one, lines it with feathers and there she lays her eggs. Admittedly, the male sometimes installs another hen in one of the spares, which shortens the odds for our friend’s workshop site. We await news!

Meanwhile - the summer migrants are starting to arrive. We heard a chiffchaff singing on the fringe of Middleton Woods behind the Ilkley Lido. He was still in the process of polishing up his song so, instead of the nsteady chiff-chaff, chiff-chaff, we got the occasional hiccough - chiff-chiff-chaff. Another WNS friend heard several in the Washburn last week, and also some early blackcaps sketching out their songs that will soon develop into that characteristic rich warbling. I shall soon be retracing my usual route on the Moor listening for my favourites, willow warblers.

More Nature Notes articles here .