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These natives of the mountains of southern Europe have adopted so well to conditions in the UK that some regard them as a weed and an invasive species. They are remarkably resilient, tolerating pollution that would kill many trees, and even salty spray at the coast. As a result they are common street trees in urban settings, and as such support a significant amount of other wildlife. However, when planting, we should generally choose native species. Our indigenous oaks suppo

We spotted these fine specimens on Old Pool Bank – often present in densely-packed bunches they have been described as “the banana of the fungi world”. They grow on the decaying wood of both deciduous and coniferous trees. Ours were quite spherical, but they can be pear-shaped - the fungus is also known as Pear-shaped Puffball. The genus name is Lycoperdon, which literally means “wolf’s flatulence”. You can see the central pore (hole) which ruptures to allow the dispersal of

During the winter, Otley has emptied of swifts and many of our warblers but on the water birds gather to keep safe and stay warm. The Tufted duck is a handsome duck, smaller than the familiar Mallard and well worth looking out for on your next walk along the river. The male has a black head, neck breast and back and is white on the sides. The female, like many bird species is plainer looking and is all brown. Both however have striking yellow eyes and a small crest on the bac

On grey winter days when most plants are not at their best, the deep red bark of the Dogwood bush provides some welcome colour. The name is thought to derive from the old use of their slender but very hard stems as sharp tools and weapons such as skewers (once called dags or dogs) and arrows. The wood was once used for crucifixes, and is now used in the heads of some golf clubs. The tannin-rich bark was traditionally used as a substitute for quinine. An even older (and better

“What’s that?!” It was an understandable question as a large black bird emerged from the swollen waters of the Wharfe, barely ten yards away from us. I’d barely finished explaining that it was a Cormorant before it dived again, and we scanned back and forth to see where it was going to emerge. Cathy then remembered that she had seen people in China using Cormorants to catch fish from their boats. Whilst this is a spectacle yet to be seen in LS21, they can still make for quite

A brilliant and almost fluorescent yellow-green extra-terrestrial growth caught my eye. It is a moss-like lichen that clings to the bark and wood of living and dead trees throughout the world, from sea level to the woodland edge. Historically wolf lichen was incorrectly known as wolf moss and it was dried and ground into powder, before being sprinkled on meat to poison wolves and foxes. Lichens grow extremely slowly, increasing imperceptible amounts in a year—only about four

So called because its gnarled and twisted twigs can appear crabbed or spiny, the branches of the one in our garden are still bending under the weight of their deep red fruit. I’m a little puzzled why the blackbirds and wood pigeons only tuck in occasionally – maybe they’re one of those things that don’t taste as good as they look. Around Otley you can still see crab apples with yellow or green fruit. As well as the birds, mammals such as mice and voles also like to eat crab a

Mosses have been around for over 350 million years! Us homo sapiens have been around for a mere 200,000 years. Around 20,000 species of moss have been identified worldwide. Common Smoothcap is a distinctive moss that forms extensive patches in shaded, well-drained woodlands on all but the most extreme soils. It usually appears dark green, but can sometimes have a more yellow tint. The erect stems reach 7cm, with leaves to 1 cm in length with toothed edges. It is also known as

Okay, heard in Otley…..The Tawny Owl in the cemetery was relatively quiet last Autumn, so I’ve been glad to hear it re-asserting itself these last few weeks. Of course I may have been hearing several different birds, and the classic owl hoot is definitely made by two Tawnies, with the female’s “Towit” being answered by the male’s “Towoo”. Tawnies can distinguish different individuals by their call: males have stronger reactions to strangers than known neighbours; the pitch of

On gloomy, grey days like the ones we had last week, a sighting of a few of these tough bulbous perennials, flowering despite the bitter cold, is a reminder that the days are slowly lengthening and nature’s cycles endure. Some of our woods have a veritable carpet of them, like a modest winter version of the Bluebell. It is thought that Snowdrops were brought to Britain early in the sixteenth century, and subsequently became naturalized ie spread sustainably into the wild. The

Winter has its advantages, with no leaves on many of our trees its easier than any season to watch some birds. Such as the very smart, somewhat plump Nuthatch who is about the size of a Great Tit but resembles a small woodpecker. Watching them, they also operate like a little woodpecker, scurrying up tree trunks and along branches in search of insects, which it winkles from nooks and crevices with their stout, sharp bill. They observe a very seasonal diet, relying on insects,