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My Favourite Yorkshire Birding Day 2025 - Johnny Mac
Tue 30th Dec, 2025
The long sweltering summer of 2025 was a mixed blessing for much of our Yorkshire wildlife. Ground nesting birds of our uplands tend to suffer during wetter springs, so the dry conditions benefit them. In particular the Black Grouse which appears to have had one of its best breeding seasons in the North Pennines.
In September I recorded the highest count of the post breeding population since September 2014 with fifty birds recorded in the northern dales. This number included adult males and several females with their broods which remain in family groups until the autumn.
Guests on the YCN Black Grouse Safari 6 October
Monday October 6th was to be the final Black Grouse Safari of the YCN season in this our sixth year of this popular tour designed and led by Rich Baines and I. I have been watching and studying the Black Grouse in the county since the initiation of the Black Grouse Recovery Project.
Black Grouse (male) © Mark Newsome
The group met as usual on the village green in Reeth perched high above the river at the mouth of Swaledale. The autumns weather had been mixed but the day started clear and blue. We were soon out on the fell and watching Black Grouse at our first stop. A loose group of feeding birds included four males, or Blackcock, and four females, or Greyhens. The grouse feed preferentially on flowers and herbs that grow in hay meadows and rough pasture.
Black Grouse on YCN Black Grouse Safari - 6 October - North Yorkshire
Moving on we hoped to obtain closer views and here we concentrated on the adult males as the females with their accompanying brood are more readily disturbed. A group of three adult males were found in a sheltered meadow, and we obtained “walk away” views as the birds fed at their leisure. After a short while they took to a spot of sunbathing nestled in the grass. Close by a family group of six grouse foraged in another area of rough pasture.
The area also holds good numbers of Red Grouse although they prefer the white ground adjacent to the heather moors which are the main feature of this region. Suddenly overhead a large bird of prey appeared, mobbed by a pair of raucous Ravens. It was a falcon and turned out to be an adult Saker complete with jesses, surely an escaped falconer’s bird.
The uplands here hold other attractions, and we spotted a White-throated Dipper feeding quietly along the beck, a regular breeding species here. On occasions we also see Grey Wagtails and Common Kingfisher.
The morning had proved to be a resounding success and having had the best views obtainable of our quarry we headed downhill through Wensleydale and the famous racing town of Middleham and then Masham home of the famous Black Sheep brewery.
Our goal was the wonderful nature reserve that has developed in the Lower Ure valley at Nosterfield. A good spot for wildfowl and waders at this time of year and on our previous visits we had dropped on a good list of passage waders. These included Red necked Phalarope, Little Stint, several Ruff, and Curlew Sandpipers not too shabby for an inland site.
Today we located another Ruff this time amongst a mixed flock of Golden Plover and Northern Lapwings. Heading to the small reedbed at the far end of the lake we enjoyed the late Autumn sunshine and views of Common Darter dragonflies. A Water Rail called out on our arrival, and we also heard the Cetti’s Warbler, a recent colonist this far north in the county.
Eurasian Bittern at Nosterfield - 6 October
Up till now I had never seen a Eurasian Bittern at Nosterfield, but this was all to change in a moment as one flew out of the reeds flopped over the channel and proceeded to land on the fence right out in the open! Our wonderful group thoroughly enjoyed witnessing the unusual and remarkable actions of what was likely a juvenile bird.
A simply brilliant way to end yet another enjoyable day out with YCN…roll on 2026.
YCN Wildlife Guide