Discover wildlife in England - Yorkshire
RSPB Blacktoft Sands has a wide variety of special birds, including bearded tits, marsh harriers and avocets. The Fairburn Ings RSPB Nature Reserve near Castleford covers 700 acres and includes open water, marshland, wet meadows and small areas of reed bed. The reserve is an ideal place to see waterbirds at close quarters throughout the year. In winter the large numbers of wildfowl include up to 100 whooper swans and in summer breeding waders include redshanks, snipe and lapwings. In spring and autumn, migrants such as black terns, little gulls and yellow wagtails may call in.
Barlow Common Local Nature Reserve is a 100-acre reclaimed site and supports a variety of wildlife habitats including woodland, meadow, ponds, a small lake and reedbed. It is notable for its birdlife, wildflowers and butterflies. Visitor facilities include, an information centre, toilet, surfaced footpaths, a nature trail, picnic tables and coarse fishing. Otters in Yorkshire exist in small numbers on the rivers of North and East Yorkshire and are occasionally seen in South and West Yorkshire. For natural beauty try the Ingleton Waterfalls (www.ingletonwaterfallswalk.co.uk/), where the action of water on limestone rock over countless centuries has created a breathtaking sight. Or Malham Cove, where the ghost of a prehistoric waterfall flows over cliffs that have been dry for thousands of years.
Yorkshire has over 130 miles of seashore, ranging from sheltered coves to spectacular bays, shifting sands to towering headlands. Take a salty stroll along the beach at Bridlington (www.bridlington.co.uk/). Fish around in rock pools at Robin Hoods Bay (www.robin-hoods-bay.co.uk/), or explore haunting Spurn Point (www.spurnpoint.com/) on the mouth of the Humber – in some places only 164ft/50m wide – an intriguing, ever-moving stretch of sand and shingle. Visit Bempton Cliffs (www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/b/bemptoncliffs/index.asp) and enjoy a clifftop walk. At over 400ft, these are some of the highest sea cliffs on the east coast of Britain. RSPB Bempton Cliffs Nature Reserve is one of the best places in England to see seabirds, including gannets, puffins, guillemots, razorbills and kittiwakes.