Over the last month we’ve been seeing plenty of mammals using the Ings meadows,
as well as the reserve area more widely with good numbers of Brown Hares
present, and the ever-present Roe Deer including the first
fawn of the year at Wheldrake Ings. More
unusual on the Ings has been four sightings of up to three Fallow Deer at Bank
Island – this species is more usually found on Skipwith Common NNR and around
the woodlands between Crockey Hill and Wheldrake, with them rarely venturing
towards the Ings. Fallow Deer are usually quite scarce visitors onto the Ings, with just a couple
of records annually, usually preferring the larger local woodlands such
Wheldrake Woods, Skipwith Common and the Escrick Park Estate. From the
cover of these woodlands they can be seen venturing onto nearby fields to
graze. However, over the last two months up to three individuals have been
seen regularly in the Bank Island area – feeding in the meadows, wandering
through the shallow flooding and even down the public footpath towards
Wheldrake Ings and Thicket Priory, including one brave individual in the
reserve base garden. Fallow Deer are larger and usually lighter in colour than
the more resident Roe Deer, and have rather distinctive white spots and unlike
the Roe Deer’s characteristically ‘all white’ tail the Fallow Deer have black
and white tails. Many thanks to local birder Duncan Bye for sending us his super photograph taken recently at Bank Island.
Along with the Fallow Deer, we have also had a sighting of a Badger in broad daylight running
the whole length of the meadow at Wheldrake Ings – unusual in both location and
time of day, whilst local birder and wildlife photographer Terry Weston has been watching a family of Fox cubs, photographed below in the Kexby area – fortunately for us
(or at least our breeding waders) not on the reserve.
It’s not just our breeding birds which appear to have had
a good season, no doubt benefiting from the more favourable weather conditions
of late than previous years, Brown Hares in particular seem
to have favoured well. We commented on the relatively good numbers present
earlier in the year, but recently we’ve also seen several young Hares
(Leverets), including this one photographed by Duncan Bye at Wheldrake Ings as it ran along the permissive footpath towards him. Many thanks
to everyone like Duncan who has kept to the permissive footpaths around the
reserve this summer, along with our breeding waders it is likely Brown Hares
have benefited too from the lack of disturbance, especially from keeping dogs
on leads around the Ings. Many of our wildlife species are facing tough
times in the wider countryside and in many parts of the country, so it’s key we
do what we can to help them flourish here on our own patch, and for everyone to
enjoy. Many thanks to everyone for the co-operation.
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