Photos from Staveley Nature Reserve
A beautiful wetland reserve near Boroughbridge in North Yorkshire, England
It has been a bit of a chaotic week for us here in Cumbria. We have been arranging removals, sorting paperwork and doing some preliminary packing in preparation for our upcoming move early next year.
Then my computer died suddenly for no apparent reason, and needs to be returned to the manufacturer for investigation, which could take weeks. We have now bought a laptop as a temporary replacement, so at least I can write again, but we could definitely have done without the hassle and expense!
With so much going on, and the less than favourable weather, we haven’t been out much this week. So I thought I would share a few photos from a nature reserve we regularly used to visit when we lived in Yorkshire, but for some reason I never got round to writing about: Staveley.
Staveley is a wonderful wetland nature reserve managed by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. It is located close to Boroughbridge in North Yorkshire on the site of some former quarries. The reserve consists of several large lakes formed by the former quarrying activity with areas of woodland, farmland and a great network of paths to explore.
The level paths make for easy walking around the reserve, though some can get pretty wet and muddy in winter. There is always something interesting to see.
Otters have been regularly recorded on the reserve, though we were never lucky enough to see one. We did see barn owls, marsh harriers and water rails regularly, as well as all manner of wildfowl, woodland birds, frogs, insects and wildflowers.
There are several good bird hides in the reserve where you can get excellent views of the wildlife and shelter from adverse weather. There are also screens and benches to enjoy the views of the surrounding countryside.
Staveley is lovely to visit in any season, but I particularly enjoyed visiting in winter when the reeds were golden and the trees stark.
In autumn and winter impressive numbers of geese and other wildfowl can be present, and it is easier to see small birds in the bare trees.
Staveley is definitely one of the reserves that we will miss visiting now we have moved away from Yorkshire, but we are so grateful for all the happy hours we spent there. If you are in North Yorkshire and love being surrounded by nature it is definitely worth a visit.
You can read more about Staveley at the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust site here.
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I love the photos of the acrobatic rat and the water rail. No doubt both required a lot of patience as well as a pinch of luck.
Did you find somewhere in Dumfries and Galloway Angie?