As the weather begins to change and summer turns into autumn, leaves on some trees are starting to turn and more fungi is being seen. One bird species that will soon be departing, as water levels rise ready for the arrival of winter wildfowl, is the spatula-faced spoonbill. This year has increased dramatically for spoonbill nests with 5-7 in the heronry which is up from 3 nests last year. Sadly only 5 juveniles have fledged…

We know many of you have been missing our delicious bird-friendly coffee or grabbing a bite to eat when visiting our beautiful Aire Valley sites and we have some great news! We now have a take away catering offer available at both of our sites, and our shop at Fairburn Ings is open for business.

So what's now available to you at our Aire Valley sites? 

Fairburn Ings

We have re-opened our trails and car park, but…

Volunteering at RSPB Fairburn Ings- Meet Ella

I am the youngest volunteer in retail at Fairburn, and at first, I was worried people may not get on with me as well as they do; everyone who I have worked with at Fairburn has been lovely, so kind and considerate, and genuinely in love with what they do, and how much conservation helps this planet. 

The role was not as I expected – I honestly enjoy it even more than I…

Here in the Aire Valley we have a great range of roles, and volunteers who do them! From bird surveyors to bloggers, all of our volunteers bring with them a wide variety of skills and knowledge, and we love to be able to use these very specific skill sets. Sometimes it even means creating a new role! 

We’ve been lucky enough to talk to two such volunteers as part of Volunteers Week 2020. 

Chris- Volunteer Programme…

As part of our week-long celebration of Volunteers Week 2020, one of our St Aidan's volunteer Rangers Charlie spoke to us about her first year as part of our volunteering team. 

"I first started volunteering with the RSPB exactly a year ago this week after seeing similar blogs from volunteers during Volunteers Week 2019. At the time I was between jobs after returning from travelling overseas but I have always worked…

We had a chat with some of our lovely Aire Valley volunteers as part of Volunteers Week 2020 to find out a bit more about their roles, and what they enjoy about volunteering with the RSPB. Enjoy! 

Volunteer Ranger- Mel 

Where do you volunteer? 

RSPB St Aidan’s.

Describe your role in three words: Champion for Nature!

What’s been your best wildlife moment during your time as a volunteer? 

Standing with like…

Nathaniel’s Story

“I’ve been interested in wildlife from a very young age courtesy of my parents, I was actually born an RSPB member and that’s never changed. I first got more involved with the RSPB at school, when I did my work experience at a reserve. From there I became an RSPB volunteer aged 14, and aged 16 I became part of the RSPB’s national youth council. My time with the RSPB was paused when I left for…

Sarah

My volunteering story started around a decade ago with a couple of different organisations. I’ve found it a good way to use my free time and give something back to others. I came to the RSPB in summer 2019 to complete a 150 hours work placement as part of my foundation degree at University Centre Askham Bryan in York which I started in 2018 as a mature student. As you can imagine I started this career path in a…

I love moths. About 5 years ago I was only familiar with the wee brown ones that would be drawn to the lights in the house, not able to find their way out again. When I was first asked if I'd be interested in moth trapping, I didn't really know what to say. What? I had no idea how beautiful and diverse their size, colour and shape. A secret world that you have to enter to discover them. Right now it's getting into peak…

Hello bloggers,

I hope you are all well and staying safe. The incredible weather I see has come just as we are all housebound, so I thought it may be an idea to take you on an imaginary trip, with the help of our Aire Valley volunteer Karen Nicklin. This contribution should hopefully provide some inspiration for us all to cherish the outdoor world even more so once we are allowed back to our normal lives. Below is Karen…

To coincide with the ‘Big Garden Birdwatch” (25 - 27 Jan), our recent winter walks and the end of what always seems an interminable month; there follows a previously lost 16^th century poem (of questionable quality) that is essentially also a bird ID quiz.

 Written at a time when spelling was a loose concept, it is easier to understand if read aloud. For information all mention of ‘tawny’ is as a colour only…

Wildfowl numbers are uncommonly low around the reserve for the time of year, this is also being experienced at our sister site at St. Aidens, its unknown what the cause of the low numbers are at this moment. Bucking the trend has been a higher number of shelducks with up to 23 noted on one day.

Flashes

A short-eared owl was reported over the flashes on January 1^st, raptors noted have been buzzard, red kite and peregrine…

There's many reasons to love a visit to Fairburn Ings. This week, one of our wonderful Volunteer Rangers, Ginny, describes her recent experience:

This volunteer role is always full of surprises.  No more than today.  A cold frosty and misty afternoon.  It makes a change from our usual Tuesday afternoons lately, when it has been very soggy and very wet and blowy.  We set off heading around the Discovery Trail and up the…

The main event at the reserve at the moment is the starling murmuration, between 10000 and 20000 have been reported over the recent weeks. It’s advisable to be up on the Coal Tips by 14.45 – 15.00 to watch the incoming starlings perform. Please be warned that it can be very cold at dusk so please dress accordingly and stay warm.

Flashes

The cattle egret was last seen on the 21^st November and there have been…

Floods have reduced the number of recent sightings with a lot of wildfowl dispersing plus restricted access to the reserve. However, a glossy ibis was attracted to the reserve and could be seen feeding along the flooded Newton Lane near to the Phalarope Pool on 10^th November until it was flushed and not seen again.

Glossy ibis - Joe Seymour

Pixie cup lichen has been found along Red Shale Road, an online search revealed…

On Tuesday 19, we held a special ceremony to mark the official renaming of Fairburn's Coal Tips Trail.

The event was held to celebrate our recent purchase of the site, thanks to funding from Biffa Award and Ecotalk by Ecotricity, continuing the legacy of our dear friend, late conservation entrepreneur, Roy Taylor. The ribbon was cut by special guests BBC Springwatch presenter Gillian Burke, Roy Taylor’s wife Anna…

2 November 2019

We’ve had great fun this half term with our Halloween events at both sites. With craft activities, quiz trails and face painting we’ve really got into the spirit. Or should that be spirits?

But the highlights of our Halloween calendar were our Deadly Dusk Walks for which over 30 children joined us at both sites for ghoulish guided walks after dark.

‘Rotten Richard’ kick things off with some…

A yellow-browed warbler tops the list of recent sightings; a first record of the species for the reserve was seen along the Lin Dike footpath (also known as Arrow Lane) on October 12^th. This species is a vagrant from Asia and is more commonly found on the east coast but numbers are increasing and more birds are being located inland at this time of year.

Yellow-browed Warbler - Keith Boyer (Library photo)

Flashes

An expected…

A North American vagrant in the form of a long-billed dowitcher was found up on the coal tips on the morning of 14^th September. It was fairly elusive during the day giving only distant views but finally appeared late afternoon on New Flash giving good views. This is only the second record for this species at Fairburn Ings, the only previous encounter being back in 1981.

Long-billed dowitcher - Joe Seymour

Great egre…

A juvenile turnstone which appeared on New Flash on the 19^th was the recent highlight, although it was always distant and in and out of the long grass at the water’s edge, the last reported sighting was on the 26^th. An osprey was also reported by visitors flying over Lin Dike car park on the 21^st, hopefully we may get a juvenile stopping over to practice its fishing skills, fingers crossed.

Flashes

The cattle e…

Dragonflies have provided the main interest recently, with a sighting of a southern migrant hawker near the pond dipping area, a first record for the reserve. Also a report of a red-veined darter, seen by a couple of visitors on the discovery trail. Last but not least, a red-eyed damselfly was seen just off the reserve near Lin Dike car park.

Southern migrant hawker - Pete Carr

Flashes

This is the busiest part of the…

The latest spoonbill update is that there are now three confirmed nest sites with young in each. Up to twenty spoonbills have now been seen in one view with a visiting teaspoon amongst them, presumably from the Humber area. The best place to view from is the coal tips, there are benches in place overlooking the moat area as well as fencing where you can either use a scope with a hide clamp or just rest your arms on with…