It’s been a little while since you last heard from our Aire Valley Wildlife Gardening Team. But don’t be fooled into thinking that we’ve been sat on our laurels, excuse the pun. We’ve been working hard behind the scenes preparing for the busy and productive gardening year ahead.

Our largest project at RSPB Fairburn Ings has been the re-modelling of the pond in the Wildlife Garden. A lot of thought…

Someone has finally let the sun know that Spring is here! The wet and cold days from the last few weeks have been replaced with some glorious warm weather just in time for Easter! From blooming daffodils, to migrating sand martins beginning to arrive from Africa, it won’t be long until Spring is in full swing!

The top ten sightings recently at RSPB Fairburn Ings have been:                                                                               

As we move into our busy summer season here in the Aire Valley we're currently developing RSPB St Aidan's Community Engagement Volunteer Team. As a Community Engagement Volunteer, you will assist and support the work of Jo our Community Engagement Officer both onsite at RSPB St Aidan’s and out and about in the ‘local community’.

If you enjoy meeting people of all ages and helping at a range of…

This week’s episode of Wild Isle showcased some of our amazing woodlands and the species that call them home. From ancient woodlands to lush forests, the UK’s trees are brilliant for biodiversity, but it’s a real balancing act to plant the right tree in the right place. Trees are just one of the ways we can capture carbon to help combat the Nature and Climate Emergency. At RSPB Fairburn Ings, we carefully manage our woodlands…

Signs of spring are really starting to show themselves at RSPB Fairburn Ings and RSPB St Aidan's. Sand martins have been spotted at St Aidan's, as as well as a wheatear and avocets. Lots of the birds are also getting into their best plumage ready for breeding season, and early spring flowers are popping up everywhere.

The top ten sightings recently at Fairburn Ings have been:

1. Great spotted woodpecker
2. Goldene…

Despite the recent snowy weather Spring is officially here and the birds at both RSPB St Aidan’s and RSPB Fairburn Ings are thinking about nesting. Our great crested grebes are busy displaying, and the skylarks are already singing overhead.

You may have noticed the appearance of signs around our sites asking you to ‘please keep your dogs on leads’. We put these up at this time of year to remind those walking dogs…

The days are getting longer and the weather is, slowly but surely, warming up! That can only mean one thing…. SPRING is right around the corner! Many of our Winter visitors, such as Fieldfares and Redwings, will now be preparing to soon head home. Take a walk around the Aire Valley to see some of the signs of spring for yourself!

The top ten sightings at RSPB Fairburn Ings recently have been:

1. Red kite
2. Goldene…

There have been signs of spring popping up all over at RSPB Fairburn Ings and RSPB St Aidan’s, with greenfinches calling, snowdrops and crocuses popping up and busy feeders where the birds are feeding up ready for nesting season. However, there’s still some of our winter species about, like pink-footed geese and whooper swans, that will be gearing up to head home soon. Read on to find out all about what has been seen…

Would you like to get involved with community volunteering?

Jo, our Community Engagement Officer at St Aidan’s runs Community Volunteering events on the first Sunday morning of each month between 10am and 12pm.

We alternate between Litter Pick and Muck-In Events, meeting outside the Little Owl Café just before 10am. All equipment is provided (including gloves) but we do suggest that you wear suitable clothing and…

It’s been another great week for wildlife sightings within the Aire valley! A tree sparrow has been making the occasional appearance around RSPB St Aidan’s. They’re smaller than a house sparrow and have unfortunately suffered a devastating decline making them a red list species. Visitors over at RSPB Fairburn Ings are still enjoying the winter birds such as Goldeneye, Fieldfare, and Redwing. Most birds which spend their…

Winter is a perfect time for bird photography with crisp mornings and golden light from the low sun. The garden birds you may be familiar with seeing at home or at one of our Aire Valley sites are perfect examples to try and capture. With them being more reliable to the feeding stations for the extra food source coupled with the bareness of trees and bushes, smaller birds seem to be everywhere! As the days are growing…

It’s been a chilly couple of weeks at Fairburn Ings and St Aidan’s this past couple of weeks, but this hasn’t stopped wildlife making an appearance. The roe deer and green woodpeckers have been posing beautifully for visitors and photographers at Fairburn Ings, and a water pipit has been hanging around at St Aidan’s. Read on to find out all about what has been seen recently at the reserves.

The…

As January is National Walk Your Dog Month we’d like to share some information about how you can responsibly and respectfully walk your dogs on our sites.

We welcome dogs on both our Aire Valley sites and we know that lots of you enjoy walking your dogs here, but we ask that you are sensitive to our wildlife, staff, volunteers and other visitors by following our simple dog code:

· keep your dog on a short lead…

RSPB Fairburn Ings is an exciting site which attracts lots of incredible wildlife as well as plenty of visitors. From families, to dedicated wildlife watchers, we need YOU to help make their visit the best it can possibly be!

As a retail volunteer, you will assist in the running and upkeep of the shop at RSPB Fairburn Ings. We sell a wide range of products, from cards to binoculars, which you’ll have the opportunity…

Despite the cold and often dreary weather, it’s been an excellent couple of weeks in the Aire Valley for special sightings. Firstly, the Arctic skua at St Aidan’s has been getting lots of attention, and fieldfares and redwings have been giving amazing views at Fairburn Ings as they have been feasting on the berries.

The top ten sightings at Fairburn Ings recently have been:

1. Stonechat
2. Gooseander
3. Black necked…

Even though most of the leaves have fallen off the tress at Fairburn Ings and St Aidan’s and the weather is cold and dreary, there’s still plenty of activity going on! With flocks of golden plover roosting at St Aidan’s, and starling murmurations at Fairburn Ings, it’s a brilliant time to visit the reserves.

The top ten sightings at RSPB Fairburn Ings recently have been:

1. Goldcrest
2. Bullfinch
3. T…

Temperatures are dropping, days are getting shorter, and our winter birds are arriving! Most birds which migrate to the UK for a less harsh Winter begin to arrive in Autumn therefore many of our favourite winter species are already here!

Named after their red patches under the wings, the redwing (Turdus iliacus) is the smallest thrush found in the UK! With few breeding pairs staying here all year round, they are commonly…

With winter setting in and many winter migrants being spotted across both reserves, it’s been an exciting couple of weeks in the Aire Valley. This week, a black redstart has been spotted at Fairburn Ings, and there have been lots of sightings of migrants, such as redwing, fieldfare, whooper swans and even barnacle geese!

The top ten sightings recently at RSPB Fairburn Ings have been:

1. Black restart
2. Gooseander
3. Golden…

From mid to late summer, there seems to be a lull of birds, and everything quietens down on our wetlands. However, as autumn comes, wetlands seem to come alive again, as birds move onto wetlands to overwinter, many of which are migrants, heading to the UK where its warmer, from places such as the Arctic.

One of these migrant species is the pink-footed goose (Anser brachyrhynchus), which leave their breeding grounds from…

It’s been an incredible few weeks in the Aire Valley with many spectacular species treating visitors to a day they won’t forget! Over at RSPB Fairburn Ings, plenty of winter birds are noticeably beginning to arrive such as redwing, fieldfare, and goldeneye. At RSPB St Aidan's, visitors have lately been treated to breath-taking views of an Osprey around Astley Lake!

The top ten sightings at RSPB Fairburn…

Hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) are a well-known and charismatic member of our British wildlife that are now unfortunately classed as ‘vulnerable to extinction’ here in the UK, as result of factors such as loss of habitat, increasing traffic and pesticide use. This makes it even more special to see them out and about.

When you see them bumbling about, do you ever wonder what they get up to through the seasons…

The days are becoming shorter, the temperature is becoming colder, and the trees are becoming barer. Autumn is here! Thousands of wading birds will be passing through the Aire Valley on their migration while large numbers of starlings begin to gather, forming magical murmuration’s! Formed before roosting for the night, it’s believed that these impressive murmuration’s occur to confuse predators such as peregrine falcons…

In this blog, find out about one of the UK’s most beloved mammals: OTTERS! From their troubled past to tracking them in the wild.

What are Otters?

The Eurasian Otter (Lutra Lutra) is a semi-aquatic mammal found in wetlands, rivers and sometimes along the coast in the UK. They are part of the Mustelid family which in Britain also includes Badgers, Weasels, Stoats, Polecats, Pine Martins and Mink. Their long slender…

It’s been an exciting week in the Aire Valley, with some rarities, such as grey plover, red-crested pochard and hen harrier putting on a show for many visitors. Signs of Autumn have arrived on the reserves, such as redwings, whooper swans, pink-footed geese and stonechats feeding on berries around the reserve. In addition, many of our summer migrants have headed back home, such as swifts and willow warblers.

The…

Fancy supporting the country's largest nature conservation charity?  Volunteering for the RSPB is one of the best ways to do so!

Did you know: 

Here in the Aire Valley, there are two places where you can give nature a home. We have RSPB St Aidan's nature park in Leeds and RSPB Fairburn Ings nature reserve at Castleford and both sites are currently looking for volunteers. From greeting visitors as part of our welcome…