The weather had been pretty awful the week before, and it was just as bad the week after, but the weather gods shone down on us, as indeed did the sun, on our trip to upper Wharfedale in the glorious Yorkshire Dales on Sunday 9th June. This was an unusual trip on a Sunday for us, rather than our usual Saturday, but it turned out well with about 30 participants and a good range of natural history to enjoy.
After a toilet stop at Buckden the coach dropped us off at the tiny hamlet of Cray, up a steep hill from Buckden. The botanists amongst us hardly moved at all at first, such was the abundance of wild flowers that greeted us at the start of our walk, such as Yellow Rattle, Cranesbill, Ragged Robin, Eye Bright, and even a Heath Spotted Orchid and the oddly named Good King Henry. Indeed, this was to become very much a day to enjoy the glories of the Yorkshire Dales’ summer flora.
Along the limestone terrace overlooking upper Wharfedale other plants attracted the eye, such as the bright yellow of Rock Rose, and also White Pignut, Wild Thyme and Mouse-Eared Hawkweed. The lunch stop was on the natural rock steps above Scar House, where some of the party (mentioning no names!) partook of the delicious cakes and tea on offer at the house.
The route then took us through a delightful small shady wood, a place to linger and enjoy the Ramsons, Dog’s Mercury and Wood Avens, followed by a steep decent to Yockenthwaite. It was here, in the garden of one of the cottages, that three relatively rare summer-visiting Redstarts were spotted, a memorable sighting for the lucky watchers. Other welcome birds seen during the day included Spotted Flycatcher, Tree Pipit, Sand Martin, Curlew, Kestrel, Buzzard, Oystercatcher and Siskin.
The return walk through the flower meadows along the banks of the bubbling infant River Wharfe was also a delight, with Goosander, Grey Wagtail, Common Sandpiper and Dipper putting in appearances on the river, together the creamy foaming Hawthorn bushes and many other meadow species delighting the eye such as Bistort, Pink Campion, Silver Weed, Oxeye Daisies and Buttercups.
After a brief look at the ancient Hubberholme church, where several of us enjoyed locating the mouse carvings on the pews by “mouseman” Robert Thomson of Kilburn, we tackled the final leg of the walk back to Buckden with its very welcome tea room and pub.
Some of the party scaled the heights of Buckden Pike instead of coming on the group walk and were rewarded by sightings of Golden Plover and Wheatear together with flora such as Heath Bedstraw, Cloudberry and Bog Stitchwort, as well of course the stupendous views of upper Wharfedale.
It was not just the flora and birds that we enjoyed during the day of course, but also butterflies such as Orange Tip, Painted Lady, Red Admiral and Small eath
Heath were on the wing, an appropriately named White Ermine Moth was found sheltering in the shade on the side of the ladies’ loo, and fungi such as early Meadow Waxcap and Dung Roundhead also added to the variety of natural history of this wonderful corner of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
Rick Cowley