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Otley’s green spaces and gardens have a vital role to play in tackling the climate emergency, says local nature group, Wildlife Friendly...

Blackbirds live in Otley all year but at this time of year and throughout the winter our resident birds are joined by migrant birds from Northern Europe and Scandinavia. Blackbirds are on of the most common wild bird species in the UK and can be found everywhere; from our gardens to woodlands, hedgerows, scrublands and parks. In fact they are only missing at the very highest peaks, where they are generally replaced by Ring Ouzels. The typical lifespan for a blackbird is three

Not short of great names, this fungus is also known as Lawyer’s Wig, and is quite common in Otley’s meadows, woods and verges (and ironically more common than Common Inkcap). The pale, flaking scales that give rise to the shaggy name are flattened by rain, and the cap starts as a cylinder or egg shape, before becoming bell-like. This later deliquesces (liquifies) from the lower edge, the resulting dark, spore-laden liquid gives the fungus the second part of its name. This pro

Our Wildlife Arts Festival is coming back WILDLIFE ARTS FESTIVAL No.2 SATURDAY 15th OCTOBER 2022 Daytime event at Otley Courthouse. 10am...

Garden spiders are the most common orb web spider in the UK often found in gardens, giving them their name. Now is a good time of year to spot the spectacular Garden spider. This is because the autumn mists leave micro bead strands of dew on their webs, highlighting what could otherwise go unnoticed. Although they are nocturnal, you can often find the spider resting on the edge of the web. She will be the female, as the smaller males having done their job have died by this ti

Probably my favourite insect, though not one I associate with Otley, more with holidays in France, but here we have a video to prove the recent presence of one in our town. Climate change is contributing to an increase in sightings north of their usual haunts, and it is believed that some now over-winter in southern England. The resemblance to hummingbirds is striking when you see them hovering by flowers and using their very lengthy proboscis to extract the nectar from the p

These are the chestnuts that you can eat, once you’ve extracted them from their formidable spiky cases and cooked them to help remove the tough skin. People have been doing so for hundreds of years, sometimes cultivating them for that purpose, and apparently Roman soldiers were given chestnut porridge before going into battle. The strong timber is useful, too. The trees are known for their longevity: one on the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily is thought to be as old as 4000 ye

An intriguing looking shield bug, the shoulders of the Forest bug are very distinctive and distinguish them from other shield bugs. I spotted this guy whilst walking with a good friend along the river, when we also spotted a Dipper, Grey Wagtail and Kingfisher! Forest bugs are mainly herbivorous, feeding on the sap of deciduous trees, particularly oaks but also alder and hazel growing along sheltered woodland edges or in clearings. Some adults feed on fruit or may even be par

Another wort in flower right now, also known as clown's woundwort, clown's heal-all and marsh hedgenettle. Its traditional use was to promote the healing of wounds. Its typical habitat is near the shore of lakes, in marshes, on the banks of ditches and streams, in damp meadows, in arable ground and in waste places, this one was spotted growing on the banks of the river towards pool. As a member of the mint family, it has a rapid spreading habit, the flowers grow in whirls on

Also (more prosaically) know as the Common Garden Spider, it’s worth overcoming any inclinations to arachnophobia to examine the intricate markings on its abdomen and legs. Common around Otley, they bring fascinating modes of sex and violence into your garden. The former, in that the female sometimes eats the male after (or even during!) mating; the latter in that prey is bitten and injected with enzymes that both paralyze it and start to liquify its insides. The spider then

Autumn is almost here but there are still wildflowers to be found. I found this one finding its way through the wooden slats of the dipping platform at Gallows Hill. A lot of wild plants have wort in their name, before Linnaeus, the guy who created the latin naming of plants, plants were either named wort if they were thought to be useful or weed if they weren’t. Bugglewort is also known as Gypsywort, its reputed medicinal qualities include as an astringent, cosmetic, douche,

This month as summer draws to an end and autumn begins, shrew numbers are at their peak! They have had a busy few months of feeding and breeding, pretty much the two things they do best! In ideal shrew habitat, it is thought that around 70 individuals could inhabit a single hectare. The abundance of insects throughout the summer is the reason for this peak, but as we enter winter many shrews’ already short lives (average 15 months) are cut even shorter. The Common Shrew has