The North York Moors are a bird-lover’s paradise
YOUR RECENT FEATURE ON BRITAIN’S 60 favourite places for wildlife (January 2023) included such an array of breathtaking wild places in the UK. But you have missed probably one of the most scenic areas (in my opinion) of all: the North York Moors.
I live in a market town on the edge of this wonderful national park and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. It’s a bird-lover’s paradise with curlews, golden plovers, lapwings, oystercatchers and red grouse to name a few, and if I’m in the right place at the right time, merlins hunting over the rolling gorse. A few pairs of red kites can now regularly be seen gliding over Farndale – always a delight to see. Plus, I often see roe deer skulking around the field margins around Goathland and Grosmont.
The North York Moors covers a wide area of many habitats. Dalby Forest hosts some beautiful walks, where I regularly see bullfinches, great spotted woodpeckers and slow worms! And I mustn’t forget Sutton Bank – you can visit the turf-cut White Horse on the hillside, plus there is a population of turtle doves that reside here, too.
I am incredibly lucky to have this amazing place on my doorstep, where a long walk or a day’s outing always provides a new wildlife sighting. The North York Moors are a must-visit for anyone.
Elmley is top of my list
It was really interesting reading about Britain’s 60 favourite places for wildlife, but I feel Elmley Nature Reserve on the Isle of Sheppey in North Kent was worthy of being included on the list, or at least having a passing mention.
Elmley has a vision and commitment to restore nature and is a fantastic place to spot hares, marsh harriers, kestrels, short-eared, long-eared and little owls, just to name but a few. I have been fortunate to have seen a merlin there this past year.
I would certainly include Elmley at the top of my list.
Shared passion
What an absolute joy it was to read the feature on Britain’s 60 favourite places for wildlife. Lovely to see that the professionals get just as excited about wild and special places as the rest of us, and that the sense of wonder never leaves them.
Ham Wall’s charms
I loved reading about Britain’s 60 favourite places for wildlife and was impressed with the beauty of nature in your country. Of all the places, my choice is RSPB Ham Wall in Somerset, with the picturesque image still lingering in my mind’s eyes.
The poetic image of the swirling starlings was like condensed energy, full of pathos, vibrant and atmospheric, with untamed primeval beauty. It was sentimental and mesmerising in the soft, sweet twilight, with the pale, iridescent hues of the cold evening sun lingering in the west, reflecting in shimmering waters. Like ancient Romans who used to read their fates through birds, I saw in the scene a sense of hope that there’s always tomorrow and that the world’s worth living in.
Thank you BBC Wildlife for sharing the beauty with us.
Scorpions in Essex
I read the item in December’s Q&A section about whether the UK has any scorpions with interest. The non-native European yellow-tailed scorpion seems to be hogging the limelight, having appeared on BBC’s The One Show and been covered elsewhere.
When I was a youngster living in Essex, there were a lot of mentions of these scorpions living along the Central Line here, with articles on other BBC programmes and in the local press. I believe Bill Oddie also mentioned them. I never saw them, though. Does anybody know if they are still there, and if so, how far they have spread? Also, are there any other known locations in the UK?
MEGAN SHERSBY REPLIES: I’ve spoken with some local wildlife organisations and it looks like the Essex population of scorpions were a bit of a hoax, having been released there by a train station foreman at the time.
Surprise gecko
Happy New Year! I just lined up my 2022 magazines to file them away and spotted the image on the spines. What a lovely touch, it really made me smile.
Wintry butterflies
I have written six haikus about butterflies in winter:
Sheets of ice above Deep blankets of settled snow And butterflies sleep.
Carefully chosen The old neglected pillbox Where peacocks are safe.
Deep within brambles As red leaves lose their colour Brimstones hang unseen.
Late red admiral Fluttering on the pavement Put it somewhere safe.
In silken black webs Marsh fritillary larvae Huddle towards spring.
Out of the long dark A tortoiseshell tests its wings Springing back to life.
Richard Stewart, former Suffolk butterfly recorder for Butterfly Conservation, Suffolk
CORRECTIONS February 2023 Photo Club, p93: The image captioned as a corn bunting is a female reed bunting. January 2023 Wild Times, p11: The ptarmigan pictured is a male and not a female.
GET IN TOUCH
wildlifeletters@immediate.co.uk
Post
BBC Wildlife, Eagle House Bristol, BS1 4ST
By contacting us you consent to let us print your letter in BBC Wildlife. Letters may be edited.
Answers to Spot The Difference