Things to look out for in the Yorkshire Dales

Janet's Foss woodland in winter. — Janet's Foss woodland in winter | © National Trust Images/Dawn Biggs

The Yorkshire Dales are a great place to relax and explore the outdoors. Discover rolling countryside with steep-sided valleys, vast heather-covered moorland hilltops and a patchwork of dry stone walls and barns.

Upper Wharfedale

As well as traditional hardy breeds of sheep and cattle roaming the pastures, this diverse landscape also offers a home to many plants and animals.

There’s still plenty to see in the winter months. The trees have dropped their leaves and look a little bare, but this just makes the birds easier to see. We have some resident birds all year round like blackbirds, blue tits and greater spotted woodpecker, as well as winter visitors like fieldfare that flock in large numbers, and waxwings feeding on the red hawthorn berries along hedgerows. In the riverside fields you'll see black headed gulls.

Along the banks of the River Wharfe, as you walk the Dales Way, you may find otter footprints. These nocturnal creatures will be hidden away in a holt (den) through the day.

Buckden Pike covered in snow in Upper Wharfedale — Buckden Pike in winter | © National Trust Images/Peter Katic

Hudswell Woods

Close to the historical market town of Richmond and with the River Swale rushing alongside, you will find picturesque scenery with hints of a varied history.

There's no denying it, winter can be cold and damp at Hudswell Woods, and you often need wellies to get around. But if you make the effort to visit there's always plenty of nature to enjoy. Flocks of small birds move through the woodlands searching for food, the "weep, weep" call of the nuthatch reminds us that spring is not far away. Roe deer are often visible browsing in the daytime, the white flash of their tail giving away their location. On the grassland you may enjoy a splash of winter sunshine sparkling on the frost etched gorse. And, whatever the temperature, dippers are often busy on the river, swimming and submerging for food before returning to a favourite rock.

Frosty leaves in Winter time. | © National Trust Images/Emma Weston

Malham Tarn

The boardwalk at Malham Tarn weaves its way through the National Nature Reserve, a unique and special place with interesting wildlife. Pause on this easy stroll to appreciate the quiet and listen for the songs of our feathered friends. You might even spot the Exmoor ponies grazing in the distance.

The waterfall at Janet’s Foss is a magical place to visit, and legend has it that Janet (or Jennet) the fairy queen lives in the cave behind the waterfall, or foss.

The limestone pavement above Malham Cove is well worth the climb up over 300 stone steps. On top you’ll be rewarded with panoramic views but also the unusual jigsaw of clints (blocks of stone) and grykes (the gaps) and the ferns and flowers living in this distinct habitat.

On a clear night, the big, open skies of the Yorkshire Dales let you see thousands of sparkling stars. With very little local light pollution Malham Moor and Upper Wharfedale are fantastic places to visit for a stargazing adventure.

Birds and bird watching

Cowside looking north to Darnbrook Fell. Drystone walls run across the valley dividing up the fields — Cowside looking north to Darnbrook Fell | © National Trust Images/Joe Cornish

Moorland

Fell tops in the Dales generally don't have a lot of trees and are usually either grazed rough pasture, blanket bog or heather moorland. These habitats can be very quiet for birds with meadow pipit being the most frequent sighting. The mournful call of golden plover is certainly a possibility and on Darnbrook Fell red grouse are often found in reasonable numbers. Moorland like this can also support merlin and short-eared owl.

Woodland

In Upper Wharfedale small areas of limestone woodland exist in steep gills, the deeply cleft scars in the landscape that have been eroded by streams or becks. Where trees meet moorland or pasture is a good spot to look for black grouse. If you are lucky on a fine spring morning you may be treated to the sight of a male bird displaying, or lekking. The often open, scrubby woodland that spills out of the gills is a perfect place for migrants in spring such as chiffchaff, willow warbler, redstart, tree pipit and cuckoo. Hudswell and Hag Woods is a good location for woodland birds including pied and spotted flycatchers.

A brown and white dipper bird above water at Quarry Bank Mill — A brown and white dipper | © National Trust Images/Derek Hatton

Rivers

On the watercourses in the valley bottoms, dippers, kingfishers, goosanders and grey and pied wagtails are all likely to be seen. The Swale at Hudswell Woods or along the Wharfe downstream of Buckden are both ideal locations. In spring these species are joined by common sandpiper, oystercatcher and sand martins. In Wharfedale the surrounding flood plains hold snipe, redshank, lapwing and curlew.

An otter raising its head out of the water among the grass on a riverbank at Croome, Worcestershire. — An otter raising its head out of the water among the grass on a riverbank | © National Trust Images/John Hubble

Malham Tarn

Malham Tarn National Nature Reserve (NNR) is made up of fen, raised bog, wet woodland and open water. In the surrounding woodland you might spot redstart and flycatchers. Lesser redpole, reed bunting, garden warbler and sedge warbler can be seen on the NNR boardwalk, the latter two as summer migrants. It’s also worth keeping an eye out for otters; good views can be had from the bird hide on the north-east shoreline.

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Things to do

Place types

Things to look out for in the Yorkshire Dales

Upper Wharfedale

Hudswell Woods

Malham Tarn

Birds and bird watching

Moorland

Woodland

Rivers

Malham Tarn

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