If visiting the Yorkshire Dales, especially the Skipton and Wharfedale areas, Bolton Abbey is a must-see location. And, if visiting Bolton Abbey, Strid Wood is a fantastic place to go for a walk. It is famous for the dangerous rapids (The Strid) that feature in "The White Doe of Rylstone" by William Wordsworth and also in the film of The Water Babies where Tom, the chimney sweep, jumps into the water. It is also visited regularly in the Spring to see the bluebells and in Autumn to see the beautiful colours as the leaves go gold and red. But it is also home to some spectacular wildlife.
Pied Flycatchers
A bird that is rarely seen in the UK but is prevalent in the Strid Wood in the summer months is the Pied Flycatcher. This small flycatcher, the male black and white and the female grey and white, can be seen tending their nests and feeding young from late April to June. Once the brood is fledged the bright birds, that have seemed so gregarious in Spring, vanish into the canopy, though they are still present until September. The birds, like Spotted Flycatchers which can also be seen at Strid Wood, like to fly from a favourite perching site to catch a fly and then return. They are specialists of narrow, wooded valleys and love oak forests, and therefore Strid Wood is an ideal site for them. They make their nests in many of the nest-boxes near the paths through the wood.
Goosander
Another bird commonly seen in Strid Wood is the goosander. This large, fish-eating duck, is a striking bird indeed. Most often in Strid Wood females and eclipse males are seen (grey, with some white on the body, and a chestnut head). Breeding males have a dark green head.
Mandarin Ducks
Also on the river, mandarin ducks are commonly seen in Strid Wood. These striking ducks are not native to the UK but have developed a strong feral population. Occasionally these are seen in surprisingly high numbers.
Redstart
The redstart, like the pied flycatcher, is a favourite for visitors to Strid Wood. This striking red, black, grey and white bird is secretive but can often be seen here.
Woodland Specialists
Many other favourite woodland species are here. All three UK woodpecker species are present, and it is an important site for the hard-to-spot Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Nutchatches and treecreepers are commonly seen, alongside a wide variety of warblers, jays, cuckoos, a wide variety of tits, bramblings, siskins, etc.
Riverside Specialists
By the river, alongside the Goosanders and Mandarins, and the common Mallards, birdwatchers can be rewarded by Common Sandpipers, pied and grey wagtails, dippers, oystercatchers, kingfishers, herons and many more favourites.
Raptors
The skies above Strid Wood are also a good place to spot many of the UK's raptor species, and a nearby viewing place at Barden Scale reports many sightings of buzzards, red kite, hen harriers, sparrowhawks, kestrels, short-eared owls alongside occasional marsh harriers, ospreys and goshawks.
The Strid Wood is an ideal place for nature-lovers to visit.
Duncan Hall - Duncan Hall is a semi-professional acoustic musician and lecturer in Government & Politics
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