BRACKEN
This common fern has been around for a very long time – fossils over 55 million years old have been found. Unfortunately it tends to...
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JELLY EAR
The name of this fungus is spot on. You can find it growing on both living and dead wood all around Otley, mostly on Elder. It is edible...
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TEASEL
Walk the riverbank between Gallows Hill and Knotford Nook at the moment, and the distinctive spiky brown seed-heads of the Teasel are...
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HEATHER
The UK has most of the world’s Heather moorland, and of course the Chevin benefits from its mauve flowers at this time of year. Before...
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GREAT TIT
As a teacher, I like to tell my children that the common call of the Great Tit is “tea-cher, tea-cher”, but their communication skills...
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EARTHWORM
The humble earthworm is actually both interesting and vital. Its skin performs a range of useful functions. It breathes through it,...
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GUELDER ROSE
The clusters of bright red berries on the Guelder Rose bushes at Gallows Hill look fantastic in today’s sunshine. Guelder refers to a...
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SILVER BIRCH
When the British Isles were covered with huge swathes of forest, Silver Birch was one of the dominant species. Although these woodlands...
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CHAFFINCH
The name derives from this seed-eater’s habit of searching through the chaff for grain after the farmer has threshed their crop. During...
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RAGWORT
This common plant with bright yellow flowers was rated in the UK top ten for nectar production and thus plays an important role for Otley...
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CANDLESNUFF
As well as looking like a snuffed-out candle wick, this fungus can also resemble a deer’s antlers, hence its other name Stag’s Horn....
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GOLDCREST
It’s easier to hear the high-pitched, repetitive call of Europe’s smallest bird than it is to see it. However, a successful search is...
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NATURES BOUNTY
MELLOW FRUITFULNESS: Free food. Healthy food. It’s out there, all around Otley, and sometimes in the most unlikely of places. Just make...
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ASH
The third most common tree in Britain is of course ubiquitous around Otley, but this may well change dramatically as Ash Dieback spreads...
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ATLANTIC SALMON
They're back! Next time you’re cursing another miserable journey back to Otley on the X84, think about the salmon’s journey to our town...
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BIRCH POLYPORE
This rubbery bracket fungus can be seen growing on Birch trees on the Chevin. It spreads through the dispersal of spores, and at this...
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GREY HERON
To me these big birds don’t look at home in the air – a heavy-winged, dark presence, like a modern-day pterodactyl – but when you spot...
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YARROW
This sweet-smelling flower has a whole host of different names, several relating to its old military use in staunching the flow of blood...
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COMMON DARTER
Best seen near the Gallows Hill ponds, but if you’re lucky you might get one of these dragonflies dropping into your garden. They come in...
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FLY AGARIC
This iconic toadstool is not too difficult to find on the Chevin at this time of year. It is classified as poisonous, and crops up...
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