ARTHIKE CAMPING WEEKEND 16th-17th July

A visiting art and hiking group enjoyed an overnight stay under the beech trees. They combined walking in the beautiful Nidderdale Hills with making charcoal in the campfire to use in their sketching.

Nature Notes – April 2022

Frog at Fishpond Wood 3 - Fishpond Wood, Bewerley, Nidderdale

The first ducklings of 2022 arrived on 9th April – all 13 of them! The large golden koi carp (we call him Horace) spent the winter largely in the depths of the pond – carp are adapted to low oxygen levels – but we were pleased to see has resurfaced and is active again.  He […]

A good year for breeding birds at Fishpond Wood

Redstart at Fishpond Wood, Bewerley, Nidderdale

2021 was a good year for breeding birds. The picture shows a redstart that successfully raised a brood. On the same logstore we had broods of blackbird, thrush and wren. There is now a robin in there! It shows that gently managing the woodland fits in with what the birds need too – working with […]

Spring in Fishpond Wood

Bluebells in Fishpond Wood Bewerley Nidderdale 1 - Fishpond Wood, Bewerley, Nidderdale

Spring has arrived in the woods and the cuckoo has starting calling from across the valley.

Toads spawning in the pond

Toads spawning at Fishpond Wood, Bewerley, Nidderdale

Toads are spawning in the pond. Look closely in the picture and you will see strings of black dots in front of the toads, which are the toads’ eggs. The male clasps the female and fertilises the eggs as they emerge. How many toads can you see in the picture – there are at least […]

Visiting waterfowl

Male Mandarin Duck at Fishpond Wood, Bewerley

Thank you to Linda Pridmore for these pictures of visiting waterfowl. More of Linda’s wildlife pictures will follow in the coming weeks.  Enjoy!

Nature Notes – February 2021

Sharron and Sally from Open Country planting over 200 hedging plants at Fishpond Wood, Bewerley, Nidderdale

February has been exceptionally cold, with snow and frozen ground. Tree planting has continued: 25 oak, 12 beech, 10 birch, 10 crab apple, and 25 small Scot’s pines as windbreaks near the boundaries. A huge thank you to Sharron and Sally from Open Country for planting over 200 hedging plants near the ice house – […]