A special place.

Those local to me who enjoy the great outdoors will be familiar with the expanse that is Baildon Moor. I love it for a variety of reasons, including the fact that it is only a 55 minutes’ walk from my front door (yes, I have timed it) and it is a great place to collect your thoughts and find solitude. A further reason is the birdlife that can be found there.

When I say birdlife, I don’t just mean any birdlife, I mean pretty special birdlife. Did you know that Baildon Moor is home to a number of birds which are listed on the British Trust for Ornithology’s (BTO) Birds of Conservation Concern report. This report was last published in December 2021 and I won’t go into the technicalities on what makes a species red or amber etc. as there are a number of factors which determine the category, however if you wish to know more, then it can be found at: https://www.bto.org/sites/default/files/publications/bocc-5-a5-4pp-single-pages.pdf

It is quite an interesting read but obviously not as interesting as my blog!

A number of species choose to call Baildon Moor their home and these include red listed species such as the Skylark, one of the lovely sounds of Spring and Summer, the Curlew and Lapwing. Additionally, two amber species, the Reed Bunting and Meadow Pipit are also resident. These birds are shown in the below slideshow in the order I have listed them. Many of you may not have realised that these species are under threat but like many birds of the upland and farmland areas, they are suffering a great deal due to factors such as changes in farming methods and human interference.

The fact that these birds are here, only a stone’s throw away from busy roads and residential areas is a big deal, we should really think ourselves fortunate and take steps to protect them. I encourage you all to head out to try and spot these birds, wherever you may be, but I would ask you to take extra care when walking. Most of these birds choose to build their nests on the ground in long grass or very close to the grounds in reeds. When you are out and about, especially between March and July, stick to the short, flattened grassy paths, avoiding the long grass. If you are with dogs, try to avoid areas where you know there are nesting birds.

There are many other bird species that have been spotted on the Moor, but I feel that these five deserve extra attention due to their vulnerability and status on the BTO’s list.

I was up on the Moor on Tuesday evening and managed to record a lone Skylark, have a listen to the clip below, it is truly a delight, please excuse the wind, it was quite blowy.

I can often be spotted up on the Moor or nearby Shipley Glen, either spotting birds, studying rock carvings but mostly doing a Selfie at the trig point. If you are up there and happen to spot me, come and say hello, I may not be on any special list, but I am quite interesting to chat to. You never know, you may learn something.

Happy spotting.