Late May and we are way behind schedule. It is looking like it might take us two years to do all these nature reserves! What with a full time job, a full time family and trying to do some birding too, this is not proving to be easy! Nevertheless, today we ticked off another couple of sites and enjoyed a second visit to one of the Trust's flagship reserves. I had been up early doing a breeding bird survey in the Lower Derwent Valley in the rain, so it was with relief that the sun came out as we headed east on to the Chalky foothills of the Wolds to our first stop, the slightly oddly named North Newbald Becksies. Heading south off the A1079 towards Newbald, we took the first left signed village centre and in the middle of the village took the road signed Beverley. The small, but lovely nature reserve lies alongside the road just after the main bit of the village ends. The lane is reasonably wide and we pulled up safely on the side of the road.
Over the barbed wire fence, a stream runs parallel to the road, fed by numerous chalk springs which seep out of the undulating ground and into the stream. I hadn't followed the book's advice and had not brought wellies, so hopping over the gate at the western end, I could not get far without getting wet. The nature reserve really is a botanical gem. A carpet of wildflowers spread before me. Of those I could identify, Marsh Marigolds, Water Avens, Cuckoo Flower and Bog Bean were most numerous, with a pretty little white flower left unidentified, along with many flowering sedges and other things. Some large downy leaves were sprouting - I guessed at Greater Willowherb. I would like to come back here with a colleague who can help with the ID, as it is clearly a treasure trove. Willow Warblers called from the large trees on the southern border of the site. Smashing!
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| The gate at the western end |
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| Water Avens etc |
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| Bog Bean |
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| Looking east from the gate |
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