PEACOCK BUTTERFLY
If you’re on the Chevin over the weekend, watch out for these colourful butterflies – ten were seen together yesterday, feeding on...
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DEVIL'S COACH HORSE
I love this stroppy little beetle, and not just for its cracking name. If you disturb it under a rock or log, it will raise up its...
3
MAGPIE
To me it seems a shame that we anthropomorphize these birds and regard them as villains or bullies. Yes, they do eat the eggs and young...
5
RESILIENT TREES
Although we must focus on the loss of species (we are one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world), I thought it worthwhile to...
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GREY WAGTAIL
These are pretty easy to spot by the Wharfe, where they feed on invertebrates with great agility, hopping from stone to stone above the...
4
LEOPARD SLUG
I’m not expecting quite so many Likes for this post, but bear with me. My Dad used to gently rib me that all the Greenpeace and Friends...
7
BROWN HARE
Not a common sight close to Otley, one of our committee members spotted one yesterday. They are largely nocturnal and shy, but sightings...
3
SPARROWHAWK
Although the one I saw this morning was flapping quite high over Otley, I usually find their visits to my garden quite exhilarating. Not...
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RED TAILED BUMBLEBEE
Not only are bees crucial to the world’s ecosystems, but they are very sophisticated creatures indeed. They have even learned how to...
2
SMOOTH NEWT
Eagle-eyed observers may have spotted that we made a slight mistake yesterday – the “Common Lizard” in the video was in fact a Smooth...
2
STARLING
These gregarious birds used to be much more common, and I miss the daily sight of huge flocks returning from a day’s foraging in the...
6
HONEYSUCKLE
To look at, the flowers lack the immaculate symmetry of many – they’re a bit of a mess – but oh, the smell…. The strong, sweet fragrance...
2
RUSTY TUSSOCK MOTH
Otley resident Emma Dunnett spotted one of these caterpillars in her garden, and my first reaction was “Wow”. They are positively...
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JACKDAW
I associate their distinctive clacking with visits to ancient buildings and ruins, but these sociable birds also contribute to the...
5
SMALL TORTOISESHELL
For the last couple of days I have headed down to Gallows Hill in the evening and first thing in the morning to catch sight of bats...
3
SPEAR THISTLE
Like the bramble flowers, spear (also known as bull or common) thistles are at their most brilliant right now and are a welcome pop of...
7
WOOD PIGEON
Whilst many of our other common birds breeding efforts are restricted to the Spring, the wood pigeon breeds in Otley 10 months out of 12!...
7
7-SPOT LADYBIRD
Whilst out exploring our town, as well as looking up to spot passing birds, I am also looking down to spot passing invertebrates, in fact...
2
BULLFINCH
After lunch, I had planned to go out for a walk but the rain decided to return. I took a look out of my living room window to see who was...
3
BRAMBLE (flowers)
Walking up the Chevin today, I couldn’t walk more than a few feet without being distracted by the amount of insect activity around the...
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