Fountains Abbey

[Mandy]

Hi all

Decided at the weekend to have a day at Fountains Abbey after seeing it on the first series of Natures Calendar. What a stunning place! We walked miles from the deer park on the Seven Bridges walk, beautiful scenery and lots to see. Highlights were numerous grey wagtail, 5 dipper, goosander (a first for us ) Would definitely recommend a visit- a great day out!


Mandy

[Kymba]

I really love Natures Calendar it is very informative and interesting and it shows you various places to visit all over the country.
It has given us a few ideas of places to visit in the future. I also have the website in my favourites

[scholesy]

I too saw the edition of Nature's Calendar when it profiled F Abbey. I'm eager to see a dipper, one of my fave birds, but one I haven’t seen in ages. I have seen hawfinches there and of course the Sika, Fallow and Red Deer are great to watch.

Not sure if any one here remembers the program. But Chris Packham found a fresh wood pigeon corpse. Using his Sherlock Holmes powers of nature deduction he said that the pigeon had been predated by a Goshawk and not a sparrowhawk. Something to do with a serrated edge left on the bones of the pigeon, that proved that it was Goshawk.

Well I don't know about that, but Chris is an expert.

I have tried to find out and confirm whether Goshawks are in the area. But haven't.

I do know that March-April is a good time to spot them if they are in an area as they are more visible due to high flying mating displays.

So with that info I’m planning a trip sometime in next month.

A Goshawk sighting would be fantastic.

[Mandy]

We were hoping to see a Goshawk whilst there after seeing C Packham discovering the corpse. But no luck spotting one, hope you get to see one when you visit. We will be returning there at some point later in the year.

Mandy

[Anne1]

Hi Scholesy, you're not too far from Hardcastle crags in Hebden Bridge. For the last couple of years there has been a family of Dippers flying up & down the river not to mention loads of other wildlife. Might be worth a visit some time if you're in the area.
Anne